Australia batters dominated Day 2 of the second Ashes Test match before reducing England to 17/2 at the Adelaide Oval. They are still 456 runs ahead after racking up 473/9 declared in the first innings, with Mitchell Starc remained unbeaten on a run-a-ball 39.
Australia resumed the day on 221/2, with Marnus Labuschagne on 95 and Steven Smith on 18. Labuschagne, who was dropped twice by Jos Buttler on Day 1, was finally caught behind, only off an Ollie Robinson no-ball. He rode his luck and notched his first Ashes hundred – sixth overall – in 287 balls before being pinned leg-before by Robinson on 103.
It is worth a mention that Labuschagne currently averages 62.48, the second-highest in Test cricket among men to have batted in 20 innings or more, after Don Bradman's 99.94. Smith averages 61.65.
Travis Head helped Smith add 50 for the fourth wicket before he and Cam Green were cleaned up in quick succession, off Joe Root and Ben Stokes respectively. Alex Carey then held the fort with Smith, stitching a 91-run stand to bring Australia back in the charge.
Carey reached his maiden Test fifty during their partnership. However, it came to an end when James Anderson trapped Smith leg-before on 93. Carey fell soon after Smith’s departure, to Anderson (2-58) again.
Australia, resuming the final session after tea on 390/7, scored 83 in 10 overs before Smith declared. Debutant Michael Neser (35 in 24 balls) and Starc played aggressively in their entertaining 58-run stand before Jhye Richardson was caught behind off Chris Woakes (1-103) in the 151st over.
After spending more than five sessions in the field, England lost openers Rory Burns (4) and Haseeb Hameed (6) inside seven overs. While Starc got Burns in the third over, Neser took Hameed with his second ball in Test cricket. Root and Dawid Malan survived the last 14 balls before play was abandoned 10 minutes before scheduled time due to an electrical storm.
Australia 473/9 decl. (Marnus Labuschagne 103*; Ben Stokes 3-113) lead England 17/2 (Haseeb Hameed 6; Michael Neser 1-4) by 456 runs.