Australia tightens the noose on the hosts with 4 wickets on Day 2 of the third Ashes Test, leaving England 142-7 at lunch

As Australia handed the hosts a lesson in slip fielding to take full control of the third Ashes Test on Friday, England’s star batsman Joe Root was removed on the first ball of the match and Jonny Bairstow was gone inside the first half-hour.

Day two’s lunchtime saw England at 142-7, 121 runs down of Australia’s first innings total of 263. Before the break, all-rounders Moeen Ali (21) and Chris Woakes (10) were out, with Ali’s attempted pull shot costing him his life.

Ben Stokes, the captain of England, and Ali established a 44-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Stokes is now on 27. Following Woakes’ firing, lunch was had at Headingley.

Before adding to his overnight score of 19, Root was earlier caught by first slip David Warner off the bowling of Australia skipper Pat Cummins (4-59).

In opposition to Mitchell Starc (2-28), Bairstow was caught by second slip Steve Smith for 12.

In front of their home audience, Root in the slips and Bairstow as wicketkeeper both missed opportunities on the opening day.

Travis Head and Smith were dumped by Bairstow in yet another awful keeping performance. Importantly, Root dropped Alex Carey on 4 and dumped Mitch Marsh in the slips on 12. Marsh then hit a run-a-ball 118 to mark his return to the Test match. On the day, Root and Bairstow squandered five opportunities.

On 68-3, England had resumed.