Day 3 of the Sydney Test provided lots of talking points, as it is known as the ‘moving day’ of Test cricket. It all started with rain, which halted play for two hours after which, England went 70 balls without scoring and lost three wickets. Australia dropped three catches just as the contest appeared to be taking a one-sided turn in their favor. In the run-up to Lunch, England battled through the morning and discovered the damp pitch had dried. In the second session, Stokes and Bairstow counter-attacked, completing their 100-run partnership. After Tea, Stokes and Buttler fell in rapid succession, but Wood tossed the bat to assist Bairstow, whose unbeaten century has kept England in the game.
A dismal display of England top-order, again…
Despite Haseeb Hameed and Zak Crawley putting up England’s second-best opening stand of the series (22), they lost 4 for 23 in the morning session. Starc dismissed Hameed for six, while Boland removed Crawly and dismissed Joe Root for a duck, caught by Steven Smith at second slip. To make matters worse, Stokes was bowled with the bails failing to dislodge, and Scott Boland took 2/0 before injuring his side in a fall.
Stokes and Bairstow fight back for England
Despite being battered and wounded, Bairstow scored England’s first Test century in this Ashes series. With a remarkable SCG century, Bairstow salvaged England’s blushes, helping his country avoid the follow-on after slumping to 4 for 36 in the face of an Australian blitz on the third day, saving his Test career in the process. Bairstow was partnered by Ben Stokes, who also fought through obvious pain to hit a crucial 66 in the century stand.
In the afternoon, Bairstow received a nasty punch on the thumb from Pat Cummins, which left him doubled over in pain. However, he shrugged it off and went on to make his second century in Australia and seventh in Test cricket. His partnership with Mark Wood, who himself played an entertaining cameo, saved England from batting again. It was Bairstow’s first Test century in three years and 38 innings.
Buttler’s woes against Cummins continue
Jos Butler’s struggles against the Australian skipper have continued, as he was caught at covers for a duck. Pat Cummins has now dismissed Jos Buttler six times at an average of just 8.83 runs per dismissal. If England bat again, it may be Buttler’s last chance to redeem himself, as he has been average with both bat and gloves.
What Day 4 holds for us
The follow-on seemed plausible when Buttler went for a duck, but Mark Wood put up an aggressive performance, blasting Cummins for back-to-back sixes in an entertaining 72-run 6th wicket stand. Bairstow had some nervous moments in the 90s as he awaited his seventh Test century, but he got there and put a smile back on the English fans’ faces. Above all things, seeing England fight was what everyone wanted to see. It’s fair to assume that a draw is as good as a win for England, but can they pull off a miracle to have a chance to win?