Adelaide [Australia], December 19 : A fine half-century from Travis Head and his partnership with Usman Khawaja put Australia in control with their lead exceeding 200 runs at the end of the second session on day three of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval on Friday.
At the end of the second session, Australia was 119/2, with Head (68*) and Khawaja (27*) unbeaten.
Australia started the second session at 17/1, with Head (5*) and Marnus Labuschagne (4*) unbeaten.
Brydon Carse tested Marnus with an absolute scorcher. He and Jofra delivered probing spells in tandem and continued to ask questions to Aussies, unsettling Marnus with their line and lengths and the batter survived some close calls.
Head collected a couple of boundaries to keep the pressure off, but Marnus went into a shell at the other end. Australia reached the 50-run mark in 14.4 overs.
Finally, it was Josh Tongue who got Marnus, who was suffocated by English bowlers during his 45-ball stay and scored just 13 runs, continuing his patchy form. A great low diving catch at slips from Harry Brook did the job for England. Australia was 53/2 in 16.3 overs.
Head and Usman Khawaja, two left-handers, collected three boundaries against Tongue and Will Jacks within the space of the next ten deliveries, easing off some pressure.
The hometown hero Head brought his fifty with a classy pull through deep midwicket, in 72 balls, with five boundaries.
Australia brought up their 100-run mark in 25.4 overs, and the duo reached their 50-run stand in 58 balls, keeping the scorecard ticking.
An outlandish six over deep backward stay leg helped the Aussies cross the lead of 200 runs.
After England were bundled out for 286 runs in response to Australia's first innings total of 371, Australia ended the session at 17/1, with Travis Head (5*) and Marnus Labuschagne (4*) unbeaten.
England started their day three at 213/8, with skipper Stokes (45*) and Archer (30*) unbeaten.
Stokes started with a beautiful extra cover drive in the first over and eventually reached a valiant fifty in 159 balls, with four boundaries.
After Stokes reached his milestone, he and Archer took a slightly attacking route with a couple of hits against Nathan Lyon, with Archer displaying the grit missing from the top order.
With a single from Stokes, England reached the 250-run mark in 77.2 overs.
In the 82nd over, Stokes continued proving his worth as the ultimate miracle man, with two boundaries in a row against Aussie skipper Pat Cummins, bringing the century stand in 164 balls.
Archer's grind paid dividends as he reached his maiden Test fifty in 97 balls, with five fours and a six.
The partnership ended at 103 runs, with Mitchell Starc making a mess of Stokes's off stump with a wobble-seamed delivery. The skipper was gone for 83 in 198 balls, with eight fours. England was nine down for 274 runs in 84.1 overs.
With the lead finally under 100, Archer and Josh Tongue carried on for a while until Scott Boland cleaned up Archer for a 105-ball 51. England was all out for 286, trailing by 85 runs.
Boland (3/45) and skipper Cummins (3/69) were the top bowlers for the Aussies.
Starting off, Brydon Carse got England just what they wanted, removing Jake Weatherald for just one run. Aussies were down 8/1 in 1.3 overs. Jake was trapped lbw and given out despite the ball pitching outside the leg stump.
A boundary from Marnus Labuschagne took the Aussies' lead above 100. Labuschagne and Head ensured England did not take another wicket.
Earlier, England ended the day two at 213/8, courtesy of a 45-run stand between Stokes and Archer. Despite Ben Duckett (29 in 30 balls, with five fours), Joe Root (19 in 31 balls, with three fours), Harry Brook (45 in 63 balls, with two fours and a six) and Jamie Smith (23 in 26 balls, with three fours and a six) getting starts, they just could not make it count, with England at 168/8 at one point till Stokes-Archer started a rescue act.
Australia won the toss and opted to bat first. After being reduced to 94/4 courtesy some incredible bowling from Archer, a 91-run stand between Usman Khawaja (82 in 126 balls, with 10 fours) and Alex Carey brought the Aussies back in the game. Carey went on to get his first Ashes ton, scoring 106 in 143 balls, with eight fours and a six. Starc (54 in 75 balls, with eight fours) also continued a dream run with the bat as the Aussies piled on 371 runs.
Archer (5/53) was exceptional for England, while Brydon Carse and Tongue got a couple each.
Brief Scores: Australia: 371 and 119/2: (Travis Head 68*, Usman Khawaja 27*, Brydon Carse 1/35) vs England: 286 (Ben Stokes 83, Jofra Archer 51, Scott Boland 3/45).