The Ashes 2025 third Test day two LIVE updates: Lyon passes McGrath for second on Australia’s wickets list, has England in a spin at lunch

Firmly Australia’s session with some pesky lower-order run and then a trio of wickets from the recalled pair of Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, who passed Glenn McGrath’s Test wickets tally in his first over while flummoxing Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett.

However, a major talking point at lunch will come from Joe Root’s escape from what appeared to be a caught behind off Scott Boland.

Alex Carey dived forward and seemed to have claimed a safe catch in real time, but New Zealand umpire Chris Gaffaney pored over countless front-on replays (which are known to create optical illusions) to convince himself that the ball had bounced short of the gloves.

Last night England coach Brendon McCullum confronted match referee Jeff Crowe, also a Kiwi, over the faulty use of Snicko on day one, and it always seemed likely that Root would be reprieved once the slowed-down replays were used.

How major an episode this becomes will very much depend on Australia’s capacity to take more wickets after the break.