Australia gained a decisive advantage over England on the opening day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, propelled by a lacklustre display from the English side and an ominous unbeaten knock of 85 runs by Steve Smith. Despite winning the toss in damp conditions, England’s bowling lacked penetration, and their fielding was marred by costly errors.
Smith, determined to bounce back from his previous innings in the first Test, made the most of his opportunity and steered the Australian team to a solid total of 339-5. David Warner contributed 66 runs before Smith forged crucial partnerships, first with Marnus Labuschagne (102 runs) and then with Travis Head (118 runs), who blazed his way to 77 runs off just 73 balls.
Among the England bowlers, it was the Ashes debutant Josh Tongue who stood out, employing lethal movement down the slope at Lord’s to dismiss both Warner and Usman Khawaja. In a late resurgence, Joe Root managed to remove Head and Cameron Green in the same over, but Smith’s continued presence loomed as a significant threat to the home side.
In addition to contending with disruptions caused by Just Stop Oil protestors, England suffered a blow when Ollie Pope sustained a shoulder injury, leading him to spend most of the latter two sessions off the field. By the end of the day, England found themselves in need of a swift turnaround on the second day to regain their footing in the Test match and the series.
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