MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australia captain Pat Cummins celebrated his return to the facet with three wickets as England staggered to 61 for 3 at lunch on day one of many third Ashes check in Melbourne on Sunday.
Fast bowler Cummins eliminated each of England’s openers, Haseeb Hameed (0) and Zak Crawley (12), cheaply after profitable the toss and electing to bowl on a inexperienced-tinged Melbourne Cricket Ground wicket.
He then broke a budding 48-run partnership between England captain Joe Root and Dawid Malan, having the quantity three caught in the slips for 14 in the ultimate over earlier than lunch.
Root was 33 not out, with England’s subsequent batter Ben Stokes to hitch him out in the center after lunch.
“Good begin,” stated Cummins as his workforce walked off the bottom to heat applause from a festive Boxing Day crowd.
“We obtained a great cheer after we gained the toss and bowled so it is usually a great signal.”
It was a formidable return by Cummins, who was pressured to overlook the second check in Adelaide after being recognized as a detailed contact of a COVID-19 case.
Holders Australia, after profitable in Brisbane and Adelaide, lead the 5-match sequence 2-0 and might retain the urn with a draw or victory in Melbourne.
The MCG wicket had simply over a centimetre of grass, promising one thing early for the seam bowlers on a cool, overcast morning.
Root stated he would most likely even have chosen to bowl if he gained the toss.
“I count on a response this week. We are greater than able to doing it,” he stated earlier than the match, which began half an hour later than scheduled due to rain.
Cummins changed Michael Neser in Australia’s XI, whereas Victoria paceman Scott Boland made his check debut in place of the injured Jhye Richardson.
England rung the modifications, with opener Rory Burns, center order batsman Ollie Pope, all-rounder Chris Woakes and paceman Stuart Broad all dropped after the 275-run defeat in Adelaide.
Hameed was caught behind with the fifth ball of Cummins’ first over, whereas recalled opener Crawley was quickly out edging to Cameron Green in the gully.
Malan nicked Cummins to David Warner in the slips to depart England in trouble on the break.
England included batsman Jonny Bairstow, whereas recalling paceman Mark Wood and spinner Jack Leach for the should-win match.
Only one workforce has ever rotated a 2-0 deficit to win the Ashes. That was Don Bradman’s Australia who got here again to win the 1936/37 sequence 3-2 on residence soil.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Robert Birsel)
