What happened on Day 2 of 5th ENG vs AUS Ashes 2023 Test at The Oval?

Australia overcame a batting collapse to take a 12-run first innings lead on Day 2 of the fifth and final Ashes 2023 Test at The Oval on Friday. Responding to England’s total of 283, they were 185/7 at one point but recovered to post 295. Steve Smith (71) held the innings together, while Pat Cummins (36) and Todd Murphy (34 off 39) chipped in with crucial contributions.

Resuming the day on 61 for 1, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne took the score to 91 before the latter fell for a painstakingly slow 9 off 82 balls. As he has so often done in this Ashes series, he hung his bat outside off stump to a probing delivery from Mark Wood. Labuschagne only managed an edge and Joe Root at first slip took a one-handed blinder.

Khawaja continued to bat with defiance even as Smith came in and crunched consecutive drives off James Anderson down the ground for boundaries. Khawaja, however, yet again failed to convert a start. He was dismissed for 47 off 157 balls, trapped lbw by Stuart Broad as he missed a full and straight delivery that angled in.

Broad produced another excellent delivery in his next over to ensure Travis Head’s stay at the crease was a short one. The England pacer got a good length delivery to angle in and then nip away, catching the edge of Head’s (4) bat on its way to the keeper. Anderson then got into the game, knocking over Mitchell Marsh for 16 as the batter chopped another good-length ball onto the stumps.

Root may have had an indifferent time with the bat lately, but he has chipped in with key wickets with the ball. He got the crucial scalp of Alex Carey (10) on Day 2. The Aussie keeper-batter fell immediately after slog-sweeping the part-timer for a six.

Root invited a drive with a slower and wider delivery outside off and Carey ended up giving a catch to Stokes at short cover - the England captain claiming his 100th Test catch. Australia were seven down when Mitchell Starc (7) miscued a pull off Wood.

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Smith, Cummins, and Murphy lift Australia

Just when it seemed England might eke out a decent first-innings lead, Smith and Australian skipper Cummins frustrated England with an eight-wicket stand of 54. There was a controversial moment when Smith was in his 40s. A good throw from George Ealham seemed to catch Smith short of his crease as he came back for a dangerous second run.

Smith even started walking back before deciding to wait. Keeper Jonny Bairstow had dislodged one of the bails before the ball was in his hand. By the time, he dislodged the second ball, Smith was in, and third umpire Nitin Menon ruled him not out.

Smith brought up his fifty by driving Broad through the line for a boundary. The next ball was also dispatched for four via a check drive. England thought they had a wicket when Cummins, on 10, was adjudged lbw to Broad. However, the Aussie skipper got the decision overturned as DRS showed the ball missing the stumps.

England finally saw the back of Smith in unexpected fashion as he went for an ugly flick off Woakes and top-edged the ball to the keeper. The frustration for England, though, did not end there. Murphy came in and slapped Wood for a six over square leg. The off-spinner swiped the fast bowler for two more maximums in his next over as Australia raced towards England’s total.

The crucial ninth-wicket stand of 49 ended when the canny Woakes trapped Murphy lbw with an incoming delivery from around the wicket. A brilliant catch from Stokes on the boundary then dismissed his opposite number and ended Australia’s innings as well as Day 2.

Cummins looked to launch Root out of the park, but Stokes took the catch near the ropes at long-on. He flicked the ball in the air as his balance took him beyond the boundary. He regained control and stepped back onto the field to complete an excellent catch.