England suffered another dispiriting day in the Ashes as Australia’s David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne ground down the bowling on day one of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide on Thursday.
Labuschagne capitalised on two dropped catches to end 95 not out as the hosts closed on 221-2.
Warner made 95, sharing a stand of 172 in 58 overs with Labuschagne after Stuart Broad removed Marcus Harris in the eighth over.
Warner hit a short, wide ball from Ben Stokes to extra cover in the final session - his second dismissal in the 90s of the series - but England were again hurt by their own efforts in the field. Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, who had spectacularly caught Harris down the leg side, put Labuschagne down twice, on 21 and again on 95 late in the day - the second a simple, regulation chance under the floodlights.
There were also questionable tactics from England, who recalled both Broad and James Anderson from the first Test loss but struggled for potency.
The day began in dramatic circumstances when, hours before the start of play, Australia's captain Pat Cummins was ruled out of the Test after being deemed a close contact of someone who tested positive for Covid-19. However, it ended with Australia, captained by Steve Smith for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal, in a commanding position.
The match started brightly for England when Marcus Harris, having successfully overturned one LBW decision, gloved a Stuart Broad delivery down the leg side to a diving Jos Buttler who held on to a remarkable catch.
Labuschagne joined Warner at the crease and the pair begun to battle, both against tight English bowling and their own scratchiness early in the innings. The run rate was slow but England couldn't find breakthroughs. Warner and Labuschagne batted unbeaten through the middle session, both passing 50 and setting up the key night session.
Labuschagne had been challenged by the short bowling of Stokes through most of the day, but launched a counter-attack after tea and started to accelerate towards his own century.
But that push was slowed again by the new ball, which England took and used to good effect.
Broad and Jimmy Anderson — both recalled for this Test by England — asked serious questions of Labuschagne and Steve Smith, and the former should have been dismissed when he presented a regulation edge through to Buttler late in the day.
Buttler inexplicably dropped the catch, and England's heads went with it. Smith and Labuschagne saw the rest of the evening's play through without alarm, and though Labuschagne will have a sleepless night just five runs short of a century, Australia will be happy with its first day's work.
