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LIVE: McDonald wanted Cummins to play before being overruled
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England has taken a commanding position on Day 1 of the Second Ashes Test, with Joe Root finally breaking his Test century drought in Australia.
The centurion enters Day 2 on 135 not out as the Aussies hunt the 10th wicket to start their first innings.
The first ball of Day 2 of the Second Test will start at 3pm AEDT (2pm local time) with SEN having LIVE coverage of every ball bowled throughout its radio network and on the SEN app.
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12:02pm - McDonald wanted Cummins to play before being overruled
The Sydney Morning Herald’s Tom Decent is reporting that Australia coach Andrew McDonald was keen to play Pat Cummins in Brisbane before he was overruled by other decision-makers.
Cummins was never named in the Brisbane Test squad, but travelled with the side to the Gabba where he continued his preparation as he builds up from a back stress injury.
While Cummins was technically available, Decent says he would have been on a reduced workload in Brisbane. After narrowly missing selection for this Test, Decent is certain that the skipper will return in Adelaide.
“The plan the whole time was for him to be right for Adelaide,” Decent told SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“Ultimately they decided late in the piece (that he wouldn’t play in Brisbane), they asked a few questions around it.
“They were told he would have been on reduced overs, and they thought it would be a risk if he had to bowl big overs, what that would mean for Adelaide.
“If Australia win this Test, England could be cooked, so there would have been a temptation there.
“Interestingly, we believe that Andrew McDonald the coach was keen for Pat to play, but he was overruled.
“They would have loved to of had him last night, but I’d be stunned if he wasn’t there in Adelaide.”
10:50am - Aussies at risk of big fines amid slow over rate
Australia bowled just 74 overs on Day 1, falling 16 short of the 90 expected in a day's play.
After Nathan Lyon was dropped, the Aussies were always going to be slow, but they would have expected wickets to fall a bit quicker having gone with a four-pronged pace attack.
With the ICC hot on over-rates, the Aussies will need to bowl England out in the first six overs on Day 2 if they don't want to be fined, with the ICC not putting forth any penalties for innings that are completed in fewer than 80 overs.
If England bat more than those six overs, Australia risk copping heavy fines and a deduction in World Test Championship points.
Under the World Test Championship’s current playing conditions, each member of the team will be fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every lost over, with a cap at 100 per cent.
"Over rates are what they are," Mitchell Starc said.
"If we keep taking the wickets, I won't worry about it."
The numbers:
- England have lost 13 of 22 Ashes Tests played at Brisbane
- England have lost seven of the last nine at the Gabba
- Australia have won 13 out of 14 floodlit Tests overall
- Australia have lost only once (West Indies)
