On Day 2 England were given a huge mountain to climb as they had a deficit of 403 runs in 4th Test Match of the Ashes against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground(SCG). Thanks to Jonny Bairstow, who came up with an outstanding ton to assist his side to fight back against the mighty bowling attack of the Aussies. He is moving strongly at the crease as England concluded Day 3 at 258/7.
Jonny Bairstow’s ton resists England from misery
England had resumed batting at 13/0 on the third day. Openers Haseeb Hameed and Zak Crawley departed early with skipper Joe Root and batter Dawid Malan following soon. The rain forced a delay in the start of the Day 3 game at SCG while Mitchell Starc didn’t waste much time after that to provide Australia with an early breakthrough.
It was Ben Stokes who scored a brilliant fifty but departed soon after Tea while Jonny Bairstow showed some resistance and completed his half-century after England lost four wickets in the morning session on Day 3 of the fourth Ashes Test at the SCG. Jos Buttler’s poor run of form continued as he was dismissed for a duck.
Bairstow (103 from 140 balls) went on to clinched England’s first century in this Ashes series in the final over of the day by etching Pat Cummins for four. Bairstow – whose ton was his seventh in Test cricket and first since 2018.
Earlier on Thursday, Usman Khawaja returned to haunt England with a stylish century four years after plundering another big Ashes hundred at the same ground as Australia took a firm grip of the match. Pakistan-born Khawaja, playing his first Test since the 2019 Ashes series in England in place of Covid-isolated Travis Head, was at his unflappable best in compiling 137 off 260 balls to put Australia in charge after a declaration at 416 for eight.
England trail Australia by 158 runs at Stumps Day 3.
