Australia took a strong grip on the second Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, closing on 378-6 at stumps on day two, with England left to rue five dropped catches. The hosts' 44-run first-innings lead has them firmly in control of the match and the series.
England's late fightback saw them take three wickets, but it was ultimately too little, too late. The hosts had set a high standard for their batting performance on day one, with Australia responding with a solid response that left England's bowlers scrambling to make headway.
Australia's captain, Steve Smith, led by example, scoring 83 not out off 145 deliveries as the hosts struggled to make inroads against the English attack. His partnership with David Warner proved instrumental in setting up the platform for Australia's strong total.
For England, the disappointment was compounded by five dropped catches that could have altered the course of the match. Jonny Bairstow and Ben Duckett were among those who suffered from poor handling of catches, allowing Smith and Warner to capitalize on loose ends.
The Gabba pitch has proven a happy hunting ground for Australia, with the hosts now leading 2-0 in the series. England will need to regroup and reapply their attack strategy if they are to mount a successful challenge in this match.
England's late fightback saw them take three wickets, but it was ultimately too little, too late. The hosts had set a high standard for their batting performance on day one, with Australia responding with a solid response that left England's bowlers scrambling to make headway.
Australia's captain, Steve Smith, led by example, scoring 83 not out off 145 deliveries as the hosts struggled to make inroads against the English attack. His partnership with David Warner proved instrumental in setting up the platform for Australia's strong total.
For England, the disappointment was compounded by five dropped catches that could have altered the course of the match. Jonny Bairstow and Ben Duckett were among those who suffered from poor handling of catches, allowing Smith and Warner to capitalize on loose ends.
The Gabba pitch has proven a happy hunting ground for Australia, with the hosts now leading 2-0 in the series. England will need to regroup and reapply their attack strategy if they are to mount a successful challenge in this match.
i was watching with my mates and we were all like "what's going on?" england just can't seem to get anything right 
5 dropped catches? crazy! steve smith is a total rockstar, btw 
his partnership with warner was insane 
the gabba pitch really favors australia, but i think england has this in them too 
gotta keep an eye on it, lads 
He's like a master cricketer, no wonder he's leading his team so well. Meanwhile, England's bowlers are looking a bit lost 
I mean, five dropped catches? That's just not good enough. It's like they're making it easy for Australia to win. The Gabba pitch is definitely proving to be a challenge for the English guys 
Can't wait to see what the rest of the series holds!
OMG what's going on with those dropped catches?! 
Jonny Bairstow and Ben Duckett, come on guys! You're supposed to be the best of the best! 
. England's gonna have to bring their A-game if they wanna turn this around 
. Can't believe it's already 2-0 in the series, gotta root for Australia 
.
can't believe they let australia get away that easily, five dropped catches? that's just mental 
or they're gonna be chasing a long way back 
. And those dropped catches by England? That's just a part of the game, right? 
. I'm actually loving this series so far