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This game is on a knife edge. If we had taken our catches and reviews we could have England 7 or 8 down and on the rack. As it stands if the poms can get around 180 in front and with Smith incapacitated, that could well be too many for our shaky batting line up. Surely Warner must do something in the 2nd innings or he will be replaced by Harris in the 3rd test. Archers spell yesterday has changed the tone of the series.

Could be a case of Aust bowlers wanting to do what Eng bowlers wanted to do yesterday....get the remaining 6 wickets by lunch time....looks like the best batting conditions sun wise look to be on offer after lunch time....with Aust batting line up as it is, this doesn't mean much....but better than batting under lights and cloudy conditions....hopefully if Aust is chasing 150 - 180....Smith won't be needed....

which means Warner steps up and crashes a 100 and flays Archer and Broad all over Lord's.... thus resetting the tone of the series once again....can see this series turning into a bit of a chest pumping ego bouncing fest.....with Starc, Cummins and Pattinson in the mix they can more than match Archer for pace....Will be interesting to see how Archer backs up these short turn around games....fitness wise...though TBH he doesn't seem to expend much energy with his run up and action....

Beasley Hutton wrote: Sickening blow to Smith last night, lets just hope that doesnt effect his confidence at the crease ongoing.

Almost equally as sickening, Beas, were those English fans who booed Steve Smith when he resumed his innings.
Even that "Bastion of Britishness", Michael Vaughan, was scathing of those To and Froms who refuse to let go long after Smith and Co. have done their time.
England has some wonderfully knowledgeable and objective cricket followers, but - fair dinkum - I reckon they comfortably lead the cricket world when it comes to brain-dead, non-achievers whose sole chant is "boo".

mikeh wrote: This game is on a knife edge. If we had taken our catches and reviews we could have England 7 or 8 down and on the rack. As it stands if the poms can get around 180 in front and with Smith incapacitated, that could well be too many for our shaky batting line up. Surely Warner must do something in the 2nd innings or he will be replaced by Harris in the 3rd test. Archers spell yesterday has changed the tone of the series.

This has to be the time for Warner and Bancroft to step up, Mike, otherwise one of them should be rested.
I'm still not sold on Bancroft given he's made just 430 Test runs at 27 without a century, though one might well argue that it took Steve Waugh 27 Tests to reach three figures.
Chasing anything more than 200 on a Lord's wicket with its share of idiosyncrasies will be a big ask.
I wonder what the London weather forecast is?

Freezin wrote: Could be a case of Aust bowlers wanting to do what Eng bowlers wanted to do yesterday....get the remaining 6 wickets by lunch time....looks like the best batting conditions sun wise look to be on offer after lunch time....with Aust batting line up as it is, this doesn't mean much....but better than batting under lights and cloudy conditions....hopefully if Aust is chasing 150 - 180....Smith won't be needed....

which means Warner steps up and crashes a 100 and flays Archer and Broad all over Lord's.... thus resetting the tone of the series once again....can see this series turning into a bit of a chest pumping ego bouncing fest.....with Starc, Cummins and Pattinson in the mix they can more than match Archer for pace....Will be interesting to see how Archer backs up these short turn around games....fitness wise...though TBH he doesn't seem to expend much energy with his run up and action....

Our batting might - or will hopefully - surprise us, Freez.
Definitely both teams' strong suits is their bowling, particularly given England's best batsman Joe Root is struggling.
It will be interesting to see if Starc and/or Pattinson return for the Third Test given Cummins, Hazlewood and Siddle have all bowled well at Lord's.
I think Joffra Archer will relish the Australian pitches when England next tours Down Under.

Langer has already said Pattinson will return for the third test ADGM.

Thanks, BC, if there's one bloke who deserves a bit of luck given his bad injury run, it's James Pattinson.

With Australia’s only danger Steve Smith out of this Test and more than likely the next Test at Headingly I can see the Poms being 2-1 up by Old Trafford now.
Poor catching and average captaincy continues to plague us let alone the abysmal batting taking out Smith who has carried us for years.

Think Labuschagne has sealed his spot in the batting line up for the series....certainly his time making big runs on the local county scene has certainly paid off.....well done to the guy.....one out of Bancroft or Warner needs to be dropped...should be Warner in all honesty, because at least Bancroft can catch at the moment....tho if Smith doesn't play in the 3rd test, Warner will be kept for some experience....for me Aust has to unleash Starc and Pattinson along with Cummins to bowl some nasty short stuff to the Eng batsmen....yep Archer is quick, but he is the only one of express pace in that Eng bowling attack...Aust has 3 just as quick in their squad......unless Aust spectacularly implode in the last 15 overs, than the 3rd test is a new match.....

though what I do find strange is that the Aust batsmen face the likes of Starc, Pattinson and Cummins in the nets, day in day out, yet appear to be jumping around v Archer....doesn't make sense

why has Australia got ten wickets an 'interchange'? Smith should be written in wisden 'absent injured'.

Freezin: it is because they don't bowl short in the nets.