Ashes: Australia thrash England to extend dominance in Day-Night Tests
What's the story
Australia have gone 2-0 up in the ongoing The Ashes series by beating England by eight wickets in the second Test at The Gabba, Brisbane. It was a Day-Night affair which saw the Aussies accomplish the paltry 65-run target on Day 4. Mitchell Starc was yet again the MVP for the Aussies as the pacer displayed his all-round heroics. Here are the key stats.
Summary
How did the game pan out?
England's first innings ended at 334/10 thanks to Joe Root's unbeaten 138. Starc claimed six wickets. Australia finished at 511/10 in response as five of their batters scored fifties - Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Alex Carey, and Starc. A 50-run knock from Ben Stokes meant England managed 241/10 in their second outing. Australia (69/2) then accomplished the target without breaking a sweat.
Root
Root's maiden Test century in Australia
Root, who smoked an unbeaten 138 off 206 balls in the first innings, finally scored his maiden Test hundred in Australia. The batter went on to surpass 2,500 Ashes runs and 1,000 Test runs Down Under during his stay. Root has raced to 2,589 Ashes runs at 41.09 (100s: 5). In Australia, he now boasts 1,053 runs at 37.60 (50s: 9, 100: 1).
Career
40th Test century for Root
Overall, Root completed his 40th century in Test cricket. The second-highest run-getter in Test history, Root has raced to 13,704 runs at 51.32. According to ESPNcricinfo, Root also became the first player with multiple centuries for England in Day-Night Tests. He scored 136 in the 2017 Birmingham Test against West Indies.
Starc
Eight wickets in the game for Starc
Starc claimed 6/75 in the first innings before trapping two more batters in his second outing (2/64). With his third wicket, Starc became the most successful left-arm seamer (Tests). The Australian has now completed 420 Test wickets at 26.46. The one in the ongoing Brisbane game marked Starc's 18th fifer in Test cricket. He also owns 20 four-wicket hauls.
DYK
Sixth fifer in pink-ball Tests
Starc continues his dominance in Day-Night Tests, taking his sixth five-wicket haul. No other bowler has more than two fifers with the pink ball. With 89 scalps at 17.11, Starc is the highest wicket-taker in Day-Night Test history. In the Ashes, he has raced to 115 scalps at 25.27 (5W: 6). Starc has now recorded six-wicket innings hauls in three back-to-back Tests.
Batting heroics
77 with the bat for Starc
Starc later made his bat talk as well, scoring 77 off 141 balls. The southpaw has raced to 2,411 runs at 20.60. He hit his 12th fifty as his best score reads 99. In the Ashes, Starc has completed 688 runs from 24 Tests at 25.48. This was his fifth fifty, and the best score against England.
DYK
Starc joins these names
As per ESPNcricinfo, Starc became only the fourth player this century to take a five-fer and register a 50-plus score in the same Ashes Test. Mitchell Johnson was the last all-rounder with this feat, having attained it in the 2013/14 Ashes Down Under. The other two players to achieve this double since 2000 are Andrew Flintoff and Stuart Broad.
Labuschagne
Labuschagne becomes 1st player with this record
Labuschagne made 65 off 78 balls. During his stay, the Australian became the first cricketer in history to score over 1,000 runs in Day/Night Tests. The batter, who is playing his 10th pink-ball game, has an impressive average of 60.35 in these Tests. He has now raced to 1,026 runs as his tally includes four tons and five fifties.
Stats
4,500 runs in Test cricket
With his fifth run, Labuschagne went past 4,500 runs in Test cricket. The batter reached the 4,500-run mark (now 4,563) in his 60th Test appearance, as he averages 46.09 in the format (100s: 11, 50s: 25). He has also completed 1,141 runs in 16 Ashes Tests at 42.25. The tally includes nine fifties and a couple of tons.
Smith
Smith becomes 4th Australian with this milestone
Smith's 85-ball 61 had five fours and two sixes. During his stay, Smith became the fourth Australian batter with 10,500-plus runs in Tests. Having played 121 matches, Smith has completed 10,580 Test runs at 55.97. His record includes an impressive 36 centuries and 44 half-centuries. Root is the only active batter with more Test runs than Smith.
Elite list
Third batter with this feat
In the fourth innings, Smith scored an unbeaten nine-ball 23 to power his team home. During this knock, Smith has become only the third player with 3,500 runs in The Ashes. He joined Australia's Sir Donald Bradman (5,028) and England's Jack Hobbs (3,636). In 39 Ashes games, Smith now has 3,520 runs at an incredible average of 55.8 (100s: 12, 50s: 14).
Carey
12th Test fifty for Carey
Carey was dismissed for 63. He smoked six fours during his 69-ball stay. The left-handed batter has raced to 2,099 runs from 45 Tests at 34.98. This was his 12th fifty in Tests. He also owns 2 hundreds. 472 of his runs have come in 12 Ashes Tests at 23.60 (50s: 3).
Carse
Carse claims his third Test four-fer
Though Brydon Carse was expensive, the pacer was the pick of the England bowlers in Australia's first innings. Carse, who finished his spell with 4/152 from 29 overs, has now raced to 45 Test wickets at 29-plus. His tally includes three four-fers, one fifer, and a match 10-fer. In the ongoing series, the pacer has recorded nine scalps.
Stokes
Three wickets for Stokes as well
England skipper Ben Stokes also made key breakthroughs in the innings to finish with 3/113 from 24 overs. The right-arm pacer has now raced to 238 Test wickets at an average of 31-plus (5W: 6). Versus the Aussies, Stokes now has 49 Ashes scalps at 35-plus.
Weatherald
Weatherald hammers his maiden Test fifty
Weatherald, who made 72 off 78 balls in Australia's first innings, slammed his maiden fifty in his second Test appearance. The batter, who managed scores worth 0 and 23 on his Test debut, recorded his 27th fifty in First-Class cricket, as per ESPNcricinfo. He also owns 13 tons. The opener further made an unbeaten 17 in the second innings.
Neser
Neser claims his maiden Test fifer
Playing his first Test after three years, 35-year-old pacer Michael Neser took five wickets for 42 runs in the third innings. The veteran now owns 13 wickets from three Tests at an average of 15.53. The one in Brisbane was his maiden fifer. Overall, this was his 13th five-wicket haul in FC cricket. The tally also includes 20 four-fers.
Stokes
Stokes scores England's slowest Test fifty in 'Bazball' era
Stokes played a gritty knock in the third innings - 50 off 152 balls. As per Cricbuzz, Stokes recorded the slowest Test fifty by an England batter under head coach Brendon McCullum, off 148 balls. Overall, Stokes hit his 36th Test fifty as he also boasts 14 tons. In 117 Test matches, Stokes has raced to 7,109 at 35.36.
Stats
14 wins in 15 Day-Night games for Australia
As per ESPNcricinfo, Australia have played the most Day-Night Tests (15). While they have now won 14 games, their only loss came against West Indies last year in Brisbane. England's record in Day-Night Tests is paltry as they have managed just two wins from eight games. Three of their Day-Night Tests have came in the Ashes - all Down Under.