Touring side losses a vital wicket under controversial circumstances.
Two late wickets to Australia before tea on the second day of the Perth Test match has seen them reign in England’s excellent start to their first innings at the WACA.
With their backs against the wall and in a must-win game, Alastair Cook and Michael Carberry gave their side their best opening partnership of the tour to date.
But when Carberry and Root departed, the later under controversial circumstances, Australia wrested back control of the session as the run-rate dropped to below a run an over at one point, as England went into tea at 91-2.
Earlier in the session, Carberry earned another life for the game after a tough chance just went through the fingers of a diving Steve Smith.
In a ragged period of play from the English, Carberry was lucky to earn yet another life, after a wild hook shot was top-edged and fell in between three converging Australian fielders.
With his score on 19 and the total on 39, all of the luck had fallen the way of the touring side on day two.
Mitchell Johnson started then started to crank up the pace was constantly hovered in the low 90’s as Peter Siddle
slowly turned the screws from the other end.
Carberry played a late cut off the bowling of Shane Watson and England, amazingly, had their first half-century opening stand of the series as the score ticked over to 51-0.
The openers for England then started to gain momentuem, with Cook playing a floaty cover drive and a forceful punch off the back-foot for four to take his personal boundary total to five.
After 16 overs Nathan Lyon was brought into the attack for the first time and he was greeted with an advancing Carberry who dispatched the ball over the rope at deep mid-off.
With every passing over the assurdness with which Cook made his movements at the crease increased as he looked to get be getting closer to be classed as in-form.
Carberry’s issues with leaving the ball haunted him as Harris claimed his wicket for 43 after the Englishman
played onto his stumps.
England lost their first wicket with 85 on the board, but the departed Carberry and his skipper put their side on the front foot.
Lyon then started to come into the game with several well-flighted deliveries catching Cook on the crease.
Carberry’s wicket saw Australia tighten the screws as Lyon and Harris slowed the touring side’s run-rate as the home side fought back.
Shane Watson was brought into the attack and started to get some swing, thanks to the Fremantle Doctor, and a ball from Joe Root looked to have edged a ball through to Brad Haddin.
The Englishman reviewed it straight away after being given out on the field with replays showing not conclusive evidence to confirm or overturn original call.
As a result, the on-field umpire’s call remained leaving Root fuming and walking back to the change-room with four next to his name and 90-2 on the scoreboard.
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