"We've been found short as a batting unit" - Dawid Malan laments missing out on a big score

England batter Dawid Malan rued ]missing out on a big score as England stare at another defeat in the ongoing Ashes series. Australia currently lead by 282 runs in the 2nd Test with two days of play left.

In reply to Australia's 473/9 in the first innings, the visitors could only manage 236 runs. Malan and Joe Root added 138 runs for the third wicket, with both batters reaching their individual half-centuries. However, they failed to convert their starts into a big hundred.

Speaking at the end of the day's play, Dawid Malan said:

"One of Rooty and myself should have gone on to make a big hundred. Big hundreds win test matches and me and Rooty didn’t do it. Both times we have been found short as a batting unit. To get to 80 and get out pretty softly today was disappointing."

Dawid Malan has now scored nine half-centuries but has managed to convert only one into a century. He has, however, scored two fifties in his last three innings.

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"It's about making the big scores" - Dawid Malan

The 30-year-old batsman is pleased with the way he has batted in this series so far. However, Malan stressed the importance of putting in hundreds to win series in Australia. He said:

"We've only had three innings so far. A couple of the boys have had some scores but it's once we're in, it's about making the big scores."

Malan continued:

"Marnus (Labuschagne) did it this innings for Australia and Travis Head did it in Brisbane, and that's where the games slipped away a little and put us under pressure. That's what we haven't done well enough so far."

Speaking of the pink-ball Test, England's middle-order faltered yet again with Jos Buttler and Ollie Pope struggling with poor form. Ben Stokes played a patient knock of 34 runs but his 98-ball vigil came to an end when Cameron Green uprooted his timber with a peach of a delivery.

The visitors finished on 236 runs, trailing by 237 runs in the first innings. Australia are currently well placed at 45/1, leading the visitors by 282 runs.