England's hopes of staging a fightback in the second Ashes Test at Brisbane have taken a significant hit after Mitchell Starc picked up five wickets to leave them struggling on 264-8.
The Australian bowler, who had been quietly going about his work throughout the morning session, burst into life in the final over of the day to scalp four crucial wickets and give his team a significant edge. Alex Carey was at the heart of the action, brilliant catching out Gus Atkinson for just four to hand Starc his fifth wicket.
Starc's impressive spell has put England on the back foot, and their prospects of forcing a draw now appear increasingly remote. The tourists were unable to get going in the morning session, with their top order succumbing to the Australian attack.
As they head into the twilight period of day one, England will be keenly aware that any further damage could prove disastrous. However, it's worth noting that Australia, too, need something to happen quickly to prevent a long and challenging day for both teams.
At 264-8, England have still got some fight left in them, but they'll be wary of the prospect of facing Starc again on day two. One thing is certain - this has been an impressive display from the Australian bowler, and he's sure to be a key player in the second half of the match.
The Australian bowler, who had been quietly going about his work throughout the morning session, burst into life in the final over of the day to scalp four crucial wickets and give his team a significant edge. Alex Carey was at the heart of the action, brilliant catching out Gus Atkinson for just four to hand Starc his fifth wicket.
Starc's impressive spell has put England on the back foot, and their prospects of forcing a draw now appear increasingly remote. The tourists were unable to get going in the morning session, with their top order succumbing to the Australian attack.
As they head into the twilight period of day one, England will be keenly aware that any further damage could prove disastrous. However, it's worth noting that Australia, too, need something to happen quickly to prevent a long and challenging day for both teams.
At 264-8, England have still got some fight left in them, but they'll be wary of the prospect of facing Starc again on day two. One thing is certain - this has been an impressive display from the Australian bowler, and he's sure to be a key player in the second half of the match.
! I mean, five wickets for Starc? That's insane! 
He's like a force of nature out there on that pitch. And let's be real, Alex Carey's catch was PURE GOLD 
. England can't even get going in the morning session? Yikes, they need to step up their game pronto 
. I'm not saying they're done for or anything, but this is looking like a tall order for them to force a draw now 
. Starc is the real MVP right now 
.
. and that catch by alex carey was pure magic 
. england's got some fight left in them, but they gotta dig deep if they wanna make a comeback 
. i think australia's just trying to keep up with starc's pace at this point 
. anyone gonna try and take him down tomorrow? 
. Five wickets for Starc on day one? That's just embarrassing. And now they're down 264-8? Yeah, that's gonna make for a great draw... NOT 
. Australia's got this in the bag. I mean, who needs a fightback when you can just dominate like that? 
At least Starc's still being his awesome self 
! Australia needs to keep the pressure on though, don't wanna see this one slipping away from them 
. England still have some life in them at 264-8 but facing Starc again will be a real challenge 
.
! This news is like, super bad for them right now 
. Australia is on fire 
. I mean, four crucial wickets in the final over? Mind blown 
. England's top order was all, "nope, not today" 
. The Aussies are on the right track for a big win 
️. One thing is for sure tho, Starc is gonna be HUGE 
5 wickets for england is just devastating for them 
! He's like a superhero on the field, picking up wickets left and right. England is really struggling, but they still have a few tricks up their sleeve... I guess we'll just have to wait and see if they can mount a comeback 
!
but England is on life support 
, he just kept coming at them and got some crucial breakthroughs. I'm curious to see how the second day unfolds 
, can Australia maintain this pressure or will England somehow find a way out? 
, can't deny 5 wickets in one session is something special! England's chances are slipping away, but they still got 264-8, so it's not all over yet 
, can't let England get back into this 
. The way he took four wickets in the final over was incredible 
️.
! He's definitely the man to watch out for 
. I mean, I knew he was good and all, but this is just ridiculous 
.
, but they're gonna have to pull off some serious magic if they wanna force a draw 
. And Starc, mate... he's just unstoppable 
for both teams. England's still got fight in 'em, but facin' Starc again? That's like tryin' to tackle a greased pig 
! Not lookin' good 
.