Serene Aussie progress stunts England on Day 2

It turns out aggressive batting isn’t exclusive to Bazball.

Resuming after a rapid start at 130-1, the pair of Jake Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne continued in pro-active fashion. Taking on some ordinary bowling, they put on 69 in 12.4 overs, dispatching the ball to all parts of the Gabba.

Jofra Archer was the exception for England, and it was him who prised the partnership apart. A toe-crunching yorker was enough to see off Weatherald who batted very nicely for his 72 in just his second Test.

That brought Steve Smith to the crease with Labuschagne, both looking incredibly comfortable for the next portion of the middle session. The fading light coincided with the increasingly soft pink ball to not cause the same level of problems that it did for England.

One more chance did fall England’s way, their captain doing what he so often does. Ben Stokes drew the edge of Labuschagne, who had to fend off a rising ball in an uncomfortable area. Jamie Smith took the catch on this occasion, redemption for him after his earlier drop. It was another valuable knock from Labuschagne worth 65, looking close to his best.

Smith and Cam Green managed to mitigate the final period of the session, continuing to score freely. They reached 228-3 after 44 overs, a great platform before a pivotal session where conditions will worsen for the batsmen.