The Ashes: England remove openers but Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith steady Australia
After Stokes had won the toss and elected to bowl, Australia lost both openers to be reduced to 61 for two but Smith and Labuschagne played nicely, the former targeting Moeen Aliâs spin, to add another 46 runs by lunch without further loss.
Stuart Broad continued his fine summer with the key early wicket of the seriesâ leading run-scorer, Usman Khawaja, for just three. Broad, who sits atop the wicket charts, had made a wayward start to his opening spell but trapped Khawaja lbw to claim the 599th scalp of his Test career, the Australian opener burning a review on his way.
Khawajaâs under-pressure partner David Warner, meanwhile, began the morning with good intent, crunching Broadâs loose first-ball to the fence for four, but edged Chris Woakes behind immediately after drinks having made 32 off 38 balls.
Stuart Broad celebrates after taking the lbw wicket of Australiaâs Usman Khawaja
/ Action Images via ReutersEngland almost picked up an immediate third as Smith played a rash hook to his first ball but Mark Wood, five yards in from the boundary, saw the ball soar just beyond his dive when, if stationed deeper, he might have taken the catch.
Having gone 2-0 down following defeats at Edgbaston and Lordâs, England halved the deficit with victory at Headingley earlier this month and, after a nine-day pause between matches, are now chasing the victory in Manchester that would tee-up a series decider at the Oval next week.
Play began on time today, but substantial amounts of rain are forecast for across the course of the Test match, with the forecast for days four and five looking particularly bleak. England, however, have to force a result to keep their hopes of regaining the Urn alive, with a draw enough to see Australia hold onto the Ashes.
Stokes won the toss for the fourth consecutive match and put the tourists in to bat, the England skipper now attempting to buck a remarkable trend, with no side electing to bowl first having ever gone on to win a Test on this ground.
Marnus Labuschagne, right, and Steven Smith are building a promising partnership.
/ APâItâd be a nice time to be the first to do that,â Stokes laughed. âWe have spoken about the weather but I think today is not too bad and if the Test goes deeper and weâll come up with some plans then. The way we go about it naturally does that. If the game gets to the point where we push things on weâll be very capable to do that.â
âI wonât be going to the casino,â Australian captain Pat Cummins joked, after once again calling incorrectly. âWe would have had a bowl but itâs not a bad toss to lose, it looks like a good wicket.â
Despite their 2-1 lead, however, Cummins insisted that his side would not be playing for a draw, with the tourists spurred on by the prospect of a first outright series win on English soil since 2001, having been pegged back to 2-2 in 2019âs Fifth Test at the Oval.
âFive days is a long time to play a Test match,â Cummins added. âIt can be dangerous [looking to draw]. I know thereâs weather around but we are absolutely playing to win and to win the series.â
