Australia have seized a commanding position in the second Ashes Test, thanks largely to a monumental all-round effort from Mitchell Starc that has left England's hopes fading with the Brisbane light.
Starc's Strategic Batting Masterclass
The defining phase of the day was not with the ball, but with the bat. Mitchell Starc, Australia's premier fast bowler, emerged at the crease early on the fourth day after Michael Neser fell. What followed was a display of disciplined, intelligent batting that fundamentally shifted the match's momentum.
Starc, alongside nightwatchman Scott Boland, engaged in a defensive vigil of 141 balls, adding a precious 77 runs to the Australian total. This partnership, worth 75 runs, took Australia from 383 for seven to 491 for nine. The primary objective was clear: bat time to ensure Australia could bowl with the new ball under the floodlights at dusk.
Boland provided staunch support with an unbeaten 21 from 72 deliveries, as the pair wore down England's attack. England's defensive field settings, often treating Boland as the only viable wicket, allowed Starc to accumulate steadily, only occasionally unleashing a boundary.
England's Costly Batting Errors
Despite the psychological and physical toll of Starc's long stint at the crease, England's openers, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, began their chase of a 177-run deficit aggressively. They raced to 48 runs from just 46 balls in a frenetic start.
However, familiar flaws resurfaced. A series of drives played on the up on a Gabba pitch with variable bounce proved England's undoing. Both Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley fell to identical shots, lifting the ball straight to fielders, continuing a troubling pattern from the first innings where Duckett and Crawley had also perished similarly.
These dismissals undermined the fast start and left England precariously placed at 97 for three as the crucial twilight period arrived.
The Dusk Assault Seals the Deal
Rested and with a new ball in hand, Mitchell Starc returned for the evening session with devastating effect. With less than an hour to stumps, he produced a delivery with width outside off-stump. Joe Root, the cornerstone of England's first-innings resistance, succumbed, wafting a drive to be caught behind.
Starc was not done. He removed Jamie Smith in a similar fashion shortly after, having earlier clean bowled Ben Duckett. These strikes, combined with Scott Boland dismissing Harry Brook, meant the tourists slumped to a desperate position by the close of play.
The day perfectly encapsulated Starc's dual threat. His 77-run knock was his second-longest Test innings, and his late burst with the ball may have sealed the match. On a day where England hoped to tire him out, he instead inflicted fatigue and critical damage in both disciplines, tilting the Ashes battle decisively in Australia's favour at the Gabba.
