Ben Stokes waited for his team-mates on the boundary rope at the interval but could only manage a couple of half-hearted low fives after a shellacking from Travis Head and Jake Weatherald.
England started the series in Perth by bullying Australia with pace but since then the guns have been turned on them, with Travis Head’s new job as an opener changing the complexion of the series.
Australia’s top order are beating England at their own game and it has scrambled the minds of the bowlers who have lost all consistency. Too many short and wide balls fed Weatherald’s cut and pull as the inexperienced opener made his first Test fifty, feeding on the confidence from batting with Head at the other end.
Jamie Smith’s howler behind the stumps, dropping Head on three off Archer, sparked the onslaught. England shipped 40 in the next four overs and were unable to apply pressure for long enough even after the breakthrough when Head was caught at mid on. Carse bowled at nine an over, Stokes at just under a run a ball and spinner Jacks conceded 13 in his first over – 9 off the bat – after starting with a four byes down the leg side.
England need to regroup, but also learn. Australia saw out 20 dot balls at the start of the innings, and waited for England to lose patience and their lengths. Now Australia can really make a dent on England’s total before the lights take effect.
