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Finally, England have something to cheer about in the ongoing Ashes. After being reduced to 36/4 on Day 3 morning, Jonny Bairstow stood out. The right-hander playing his second match in the series stitched a 128-run partnership with Ben Stokes for the fifth wicket and then put together an entertaining 72-run stand with Mark Wood for the sixth pull England out of the gutter. In the process, Bairstow brought up his seventh Test hundred, also England's first on the tour. At stumps, England are 258/7, still trail by 158 runs. Earlier on Day 2, Australia rode on Usman Khawaja's 137 to declare their innings at 416/8. Rain has played its part in all three days of this Test match. Get here highlights of the fourth Test between AUS vs ENG.
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13:06 PM IST: Day 3 Stumps
Stumps have been drawn and Jonny Bairstow heads into the dressing room amid a round of applause from the SCG. What a day it has been for Bairstow and England. England 258/7, still trail by 158 runs.
13:00 PM IST: Jonny 100
Finally, England have a hundred on tour. Jonny Bairstow cuts away Pat Cummins for a four and he raises his hand in celebration. England 258/7
12:43 PM IST: Wood departs
Pat Cummins gets his second wicket in the match. Mark Wood, caught by Nathan Lyon, departs for 39. England 245/7
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12:35 PM IST: England avoid follow on
England have avoided the follow-on. Mark Wood is playing a gem of an innings at the SCG. Along with Jonny Bairstow, the duo has crossed a 50-run partnership. England 242/6, trail by 174 runs
12:00 PM IST: England cross 200
A flurry of boundaries from Jonny Bairstow and Mark Woods helps England cross the 200-run mark. Bairstow, batting on 84, is inching towards his Test ton. England 201/6
11:54 AM IST: Buttler departs
Usman Khawaja takes a brilliant low catch to send Jos Buttler packing. Pat Cummins gets his first wicket in the match as England are 173/6. Buttler departs for a duck.
Finally the partnership has been broken. Nathan Lyon traps Ben Stokes to bring an end to the 128-run fifth-wicket stand between Stokes and Jonny Bairstow. England 164/5
10:50 AM IST: Stokes, Bairstow lift ENG
Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow have put on 99 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket to pull out England from a major top-order batting collapse. Stokes is batting on 52 while, Bairstow is unbeaten on 45. England 135/4
9:31 AM IST: Ben-Jonny rebuilds ENG
Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow rebuild the sinking ship. The duo has so far put on 33 runs for the fifth wicket. England 69/4, trail by 347 runs.
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8:04 AM IST: England 4 down
Oh dear! England are four down in no time. Cameron Green joins the party as he has Dawid Malan, caught by Usman Khawaja at the leg slip. Malan goes for 3 and England are 36/4. Lunch break has been called.
7:54 AM IST: Root departs
More misery for England. The visitors have lost their captain Joe Root for a seven-ball duck, caught by Steve Smith at second slip, off Scott Boland. The whole SCG erupts in joy. England 36/3
7:40 AM IST: Boland strikes
England lose Zak Crawley for 18, clean bowled by Scott Boland. England 36/2, still 380 runs behind
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7:14 AM IST: Hammed out
Australia have their first wicket of the day. Haseeb Hameed is clean bowled by Mitchell Starc for six. Dawid Malan joins Zak Crawley in the middle. England 22/1
7:10 AM IST: Delayed start
Like both the days, play on Day 3 was delayed by more than an hour due to heavy rains. The conditions are going to stay overcast for some time today.
Usman Khawaja's ninth Test century put Australia in a commanding position. Playing his first Test since 2019 and only in the team because of Travis Head’s positive test for COVID-19, Khawaja made the most of the opportunity on Thursday. He first shared a century partnership with Steve Smith, who made 67, and anchored Australia’s innings with his 137 from 260 balls as England’s bowlers fought back with the second new ball.
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Stuart Broad took 5 for 101, including the wickets of Steve Smith and Khawaja. It was the 19th five-wicket haul of Broad's career and went a long way to vindicating his return to the team after being omitted from the third Test at Melbourne that saw Australia humiliate England and retain the Ashes.
