At the end of the second day of this crunch second Test, the numbers on the scoreboard spoke of an impressive England fightback. The cricket that got them there was a bit more complicated than the digits, however; a high-wire act that underlined the positives and pitfalls of their desire to always run towards the danger.
There was a redemptive showing with the ball first thing, Australia bowled out for 416 in 100.4 overs and– a triumph in the circumstances –Steve Smith’s 32nd Test century kept to only 110 runs.
Come stumps, having reached 278 for four in response and thus trailing by 138 runs, the hosts could head to their lodgings feeling good. But in between came another white-knuckle ride for their supporters, one that comes with the territory these days but is somehow no less shocking for it.
Having flexed their muscles to reach 188 for one shortly after tea, and with Nathan Lyon having just limped off with a potentially match-ending calf injury, England then conjured up a crazed hour.
Credit should go to Pat Cummins, it must be said, the Australian captain shrewdly preying on the machismo that has underpinned England’s revival under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. With men stationed out on the rope, he whistled up a short-ball barrage from his fellow quicks and watched three opponents happily take the bait.
In the space of eight overs, Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and Joe Root all perished in the deep and Lord’s repeatedly groaned. Most galling was Duckett when on 98, just two runs from his first Ashes century and having played so well, he took on Josh Hazlewood’s bumper, fluffed the contact and saw the ball fly to long leg.
It followed Pope’s demise moments earlier, the No 3 picking out Smith off the giant Cameron Green despite having enjoyed a relative cruise to 42. It also came despite a reprieve for Joe Root when he attempted something similar and gloved behind his second ball. The wicket was chalked off due to Green’s struggle with the front line.
The undeterred aggression and Australia’s relentlessness made this passage gripping and exasperating in equal measure, not least when a bright spark such as Root picked out backward square on 10, again swivelling on a Mitchell Starc short ball. Harry Brook should have followed soon after, too, dropped on 25 by Marnus Labuschagne at square leg – a genuine dolly at this level – to deny Cummins his first wicket of the match.
That it took the captain who has instigated this mentality to apply the brakes said something, Stokes getting his head down to chisel out an unbeaten 17. He will resume with Brook on 45 not out but given there is a long tail to come after the next man, Jonny Bairstow, there remains work to do, even with Lyon struggling.
Conditions had eased on day two and England’s plight with it. Chastened by that listless showing 24 hours earlier – if indeed this uber-upbeat team does chastened – they were a little sharper, a little more alert, a little more on it in the morning. And Australia, so dominant in the match and thus the series at 1-0 up, ended up a little short.
The tourists added 77 to their overnight 339 for five. After the gifts presented to Root’s off-breaks the previous evening, it meant they had lost their last seven wickets for exactly 100 runs.
Smith sealed a majestic 12th century in Ashes cricket, leaving only Don Bradman’s hallowed 19 above him on the list. But a door that could have been bolted firmly shut was left ajar. Smith was crestfallen upon driving Josh Tongue to gully on 110. Still, this was a mighty hand, that bat so thick, those drives so crunching and the feeling upon slotting Jimmy Anderson for four to reach three figures so sweet.
Back at the scene of his Test debut in 2010, his first double-century in 2015 and that blood-curdling duel with Jofra Archer in 2019, another entry was weaved into his personal Lord’s tapestry.
Those belonging to England’s old guard looked a little frayed on day one but Stuart Broad made good use of the review system to remove Alex Carey lbw for 22, while Anderson nicked off Starc cheaply.
Ollie Robinson was the bowler who burnished his figures the most, knocking over two of the No 11s he fatefully spoke about at Edgbaston to finish with three for the innings.
England, somehow, were off the canvas. After negotiating a tricky 20-minute period before lunch, Zak Crawley and Duckett pushed back at Australia at five an over yet largely risk-free. Crawley looked most at ease, crisply tucking into Starc and Hazlewood with straight drives and whips through mid-wicket. The opener has been a lightning rod for criticisms of England’s approach but when he plays like this, the upside is clear.
Even after Crawley was stumped smartly on 48 by Carey off Lyon – joy for the off-spinner before his day ended with a seemingly innocuous stumble in the 37th over – the arrival of Pope continued England’s positive response. Duckett was increasingly growing in confidence, picking off runs square of the wicket and exuding a sense of calm.
That was until Australia opted to go short after tea, England ran towards the danger and it needed their typically firebrand captain to call time on the chaos.
