Australia vs England 2nd Test, Day 1 Live: Mitchell Starc Removes Duckett & Pope Early as England Struggle at the Gabba

The second Ashes Test at the Gabba saw England win the toss and opt to bat first. The move was not favorable, and they lost two wickets in no time as Mitchell Starc had both Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope out inside the first 10 balls. Presently, Joe Root and Zak Crawley are standing in the middle trying to resist for their lives at an early expense of two wickets.

Walking into the pink-ball Test in utmost need of a retort after their heavy defeat at Perth, England set their sights on the Gabba, a venue where Australia has shown a brisk domination under lights, with Starc establishing himself as one of the most dangerous bowlers under lights indeed.

The pace and swing of Starc began the job of unsettling one or two of the great England batsmen, as Duckett and Pope were given their marching orders at greatly diminishing scores of 7 and 5, respectively: Root and Crawley are trying to lay down a strong base, though the kid chisel was considerably under pressure earlier on against the attentions of Starc and Boland.

Both Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were absent due to injuries, offering chances to Josh Inglis and Michael Neser; England also brought in Will Jacks to replace Mark Wood.

Match Situation

• England-44/2 (9.1)
• Batsmen at the crease: Zak Crawley 33 (37), Joe Root 7* (14)
• Current RR-4.80
• Bowling-Scott Boland 1.1-0-3-0, Mitchell Starc with two wickets

Pitch and Weather Update

The wicket at Gabba has seen grass with some moisture that should behave slightly in favor of fast bowlers. The degradation of the new ball should see the batsmen urged to find some runs.

The first three days will be basking in bright sunshine, while last two days could witness overcast spells and chances of rain.

Playing XIs

Australia: Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Michael Neser, Brendan Doggett

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer

We are eagerly looking forward to the live score updates, ball-by-ball commentary, session reviews, and significant highlights that will automatically pop up as we are watching the all-important Ashes contest to keep the embers of deception with its flamboyant allure burning in our living room.