Australia vs England, Day 3, Test 2: Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh put Australia in driving seat

Steve Smith's scored his second double ton while Mitchell Marsh also scored his first Test hundred on Day 3.

By: Express Web Desk | Updated: December 16, 2017 3:23 pm
Steve Smith is Australia captain. Steve Smith scored his second double hundred. (Source: Reuters)

What a day for Australian Test cricket. Steve Smith century. Check. Steve Smith double century. Double check. Not only did the Australian captain went on to score his second double Test hundred in Perth, he stitched a strong partnership of 301 runs with allrounder Mitchell Marsh. With questions raising on his selection, Marsh justified his inclusion and went on to score his maiden Test ton. Smith became the only captain to score a double hundred in an Ashes Test since 1993. The two remained unbeaten throughout the day as Australia remained at 549/4 stumps, with a lead of 146 runs. Smith, who is playing on 229* runs will start Day 4 with Marsh who is currently on 181*.

Australia vs England 3rd Test, Day 3 highlights:

1515 hrs IST: And that’s a wrap on Day 3. England captain Joe Root looks visibly frustrated. It had been a hard day for England bowlers in the middle. But the star of the day remains captain Steve Smith who scored his second double hundred, with Mitchell Marsh being the supporting hero, who also hammered his maiden Test ton. Australia reach 549/4 at stumps with a lead of 146 runs.

1440 hrs IST: FOUR! Mitchell Marsh got back-to-back boundaries and it seems he is turning on a gear here. Can he reach his double hundred before stumps?

1420 hrs IST: Australia has now extended their lead up to 100 runs. Mitchell Marsh is looking to reach his maiden double hundred as sun starts to set in Perth.

1400 hrs IST: Mitchell Marsh reaches 150 runs in Perth. This is simply outstanding from Australian batsmen. England have found no answers against this dominance. Another 200 coming?

1330 hrs IST: DOUBLE CENTURY FOR STEVE SMITH! The captain has led from the front and now he is simply unstoppable. This is the second double ton of his Test career. And what a moment it is for the 28-year old. He celebrates it in style. Steve Smith is the first captain since to score a double hundred in Tst

1310 hrs IST: England have confirmed that he has a cracked rib and yet he has continued to play on. He has bowled quite a few overs since the morning in spite of the injury. What a commendable effort!

1300 hrs IST: We are back for the final session. England are desperate for a wicket here. Meanwhile, we might be heading for a special double century knock from the skipper. Exciting session in store.

1242 hrs IST: TEA! Another session for Australia here. England need a solid third session or the match will be all but over. AUS 421/4, lead by 18 runs.

1235 hrs IST: HUNDRED! Mitchell Marsh showed the world how to silence the doubters. Look at him, celebrating! Jumps up in the air. His brother Shaun Marsh applauds from the stands. Marsh brothers are on fire in this series. What a return to Test cricket for Mitchell Marsh. AUS 421/4, lead by 18 runs.

1204 hrs IST: Australia equals England’s total. The visitors are struggling here. It seems Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith can easily go on to play the rest of the day. AUS 403/4

1200 hrs IST: Mitchell Marsh has played a matured hand at WACA. He has punished the bad balls, and has not taken too nany risks. Quite happy to play the second fiddle to Smith. He has taken Australia close to England’s total.

1130 hrs IST: Australia are struggling to contain Steve Smith here. The skipper has now spent over 1000 minutes on the crease. England captain Joe Root is looking frustrated now. His 172* is now the highest individual score in Ashes Test at WACA. AUS 361/4, trail England by 41 runs.

1110 hrs IST: FIFTY! Mitchell Marsh has just raised his bat and silenced his critics. It has been a smart batting performance from the right-handed batsman and we may see another Marsh scoring a century in this series.

1100 hrs IST: Steve Smith reaches 150 runs. It is the seventh time he has reached 150 runs in an innings, only one of which he has been able to converted into a double hundred. Will this be his second double ton?

1040 hrs IST: Back from Lunch. Chris Woakes takes the ball. Steve Smith looks ready to bat throughout the day. Can England find a way to get him out?

1000 hrs IST: And that’s Lunch on Day 3. It has been a Steve Smith show this morning in Perth. Watching him bat is a treat for all cricket lovers. We might see him scoring another double century here. Second session promises a lot for Smith’s fan. Australia 314/4, trail England by 89 runs

0954 hrs IST: With all the questions being raised over his selection over Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Marsh has been excellent this morning. The right-hand batsman, who has always struggled against bounce, has faced them well in the first session, and has also punished off deliveries.

0930 hrs IST: England have taken a new ball here and have employed Stuart Broad and James Anderson on each end to take the advantage. Another wicket before Lunch can make this crucial.

0915 hrs IST: England got a lucky break-through out of nowhere as the Adelaide centurion Shaun Marsh got out on a Moeen Ali delivery. The ball bounced more than Marsh anticipated and found his leading edge. Root made no mistakes in the slips and took an easy catch. Marsh departed on 28 and made way for Mitchell who is playing his first Test in the series in place of Peter Handscomb.

0910 hrs IST: Australia have carried on from where they left on Day 2. Skipper Steve Smith continued playing his shots and soon went on to score his 22nd Test century. He became the third fastest cricketer to reach 22 Test tons, only after Sir Don Bradman (58), Sunil Gavaskar (101). The 28-year old achieved the feat in 108 innings. He also scored his fastest and slowest Test centuries in this series as he had reached his ton in 241 balls at Gabba in the first Test. He reached his three-figure in 138 balls. He also became the second cricketer only after Matthew Hayden to score 1000 Test runs in four successive years.

0900 hrs IST: Hi. We are back with the live updates on Day 3. We apologise for the delay. We had some technical difficulty on our end.

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