Ashes HIGHLIGHTS, ENG vs AUS 1st Test Day 2: Australia 311/5 (94 overs) at stumps; Khawaja hundred, Carey fifty reduce England lead to 82

Moeen runs through a tidy over but Australia will be extremely content with the finish at STUMPS. A sensational effort from Usman Khawaja, seeing through the day unbeaten on 126 off 279 balls. An able hand from Alex Carey as well after solid hands from Travis Head and Cameron Green.

FIFTY for Carey with a streak of luck. Thick outside-edge tools past first-slip for FOUR and he compiles another quickfire fifty.

300 up for Australia as Carey pulls Moeen for FOUR through mid-wicket.

Robinson sprays one across the line and Carey flays the ball through extra cover for FOUR. Robinson nips one in but straightens it a bit too much to the pads for a leg-bye.

Broad continues. Minimal movement here with the second new ball and Carey stands rock-solid in defence. A single to follow. Broad drops short and Khawaja eases into another pull through mid-wicket for FOUR.

Anderson strays well outside the off-stump and Carey leans into a superb drive through cover for FOUR.

New ball taken and here’s Broad.

Broad to Khawaja, OUT! He cleans him up. But wait, oh, wait! It’s a no-ball! He oversteps and Khawaja survives. A single to follow. Broad overpitches and Carey bludgeons the ball through extra cover for FOUR. 50-run stand between the pair of 85 balls.

Carey leans into a push away from the off-stump and gets a thick outside-edge off Root to Bairstow and he spills a regulation catch.

Brook runs through his second over of the spell. Carey waits on the slower balls and plays them late off length. Brook oversteps and concedes a no-ball. He gets one to seam in and find Carey’s inside-edge.

Carey brings out the reverse-sweep to Moeen for FOUR. Fuller ball and Carey simply pumps the ball down the ground for a beautiful SIX. Easy batswing to get the distance.

Late cut from Khawaja and Anderson puts in a superb dive to deny a boundary. Robinson continues to move the ball across the turf to Khawaja.

Stokes offers Khawaja room for a drive through cover for two runs. It’s another no-ball. Width from Stokes and Khawaja dabs it to third for FOUR - 15th Test hundred and his first in England. He roars in delight.

Moeen to Green, OUT! Cleaned him up with a jaffa! Massive turn for Moeen as he tosses one into the slot outside off, forcing Green to lean forward and play around the spin. The ball hits the stumps and Moeen gets his second. Alex Carey is in at 7.

Cameron Green b Ali 38 (68b 4x4 1x6)

Stokes slides the ball in. Green flicks it towards mid-wicket for a single. Stokes allows room and Khawaja cuts it straight to the backward point fielder. Short from Stokes and Khawaja swivels to pull the ball through mid-wicket for FOUR.

Two no-balls from Stokes in the over. Stokes strays to the pads and Green flicks it down leg for FOUR.

Moeen Ali starts with a loosener and Khawaja pulls the first ball through square-leg for FOUR. Fuller lengths and Khawaja digs them out from the surface.

Khawaja and Green return to the crease as England takes the field.

Last over before Tea. Root wafts one outside the off-stump and Green steps out and clobbers the ball over mid-off for FOUR. Fuller ball and Green taps it towards point. Wider outside off and Green spanks the ball through extra cover for another FOUR. Root finds a thick inside-edge off the last ball that falls towards the short mid-wicket fielder before TEA. Khawaja moves into the break on 84 not out.

Root skims through another over. Green prods forward to find the gaps but fails to beat the fielders. Maiden.

The runs have dried up as Stokes continues to pack the circle with fielders. Root does well to hit the blockhole to Khawaja and force him to dig out deliveries.

Green continues to employ a sturdy defence as Stokes cramps up the fielders around him. Anderson channels his attack around the stumps and gently shapes one away to din the outside-edge short of gully.

Anderson returns. He comes around the with Stokes at silly mid-off. Five dots on the trot before Anderson strays to the pads. Khawaja tucks it through mid-wicket for two runs.

Moeen to Head, OUT! Caught this time. Head attempts to drag another ball from outside the off-stump but miscues it to Crawley at short mid-wicket. Cameron Green is in at 6. GONE? NO! Bairstow misses a stumping as Moeen revs one in as Green steps out and misses a slog across the line. Massive chance gone begging there.

Travis Head c Crawley b Ali 50 (63b 8x4 1x6)

Robinson goes short and fraction wide. Head cuts it behind point for three runs and reaches his FIFTY!

Moeen continues to feed looseners and Khawaja steps out by making room and nonchalantly lofts the ball over extra cover for FOUR. Fuller delivery and Khawaja dances down again and lofts the ball down the ground for SIX.

Robinson digs one short and Head gets on top of the ball to slam it through square-leg for FOUR. Robinson overpitches and Head drills the ball to Pope at short cover. Robinson persists with the short ball as Head ducks underneath another one.

Head drags a flat delivery from Moeen just past short mid-wicket for two runs. Moeen floats one in and Head synchronises in movement and launches it down the ground for FOUR.

Moeen overpitches and Head clears his front leg and smashes the ball down the ground for FOUR. Fraction wide from Moeen and Head quickly latches onto it and scythes it through point for another FOUR.

Broad continues the short-ball ploy to Head who ducks below one. Pope stands at short-leg. Shorter delivery onto the waist and Head tucks it fine for a single.

FIFTY for Khawaja as he steers Moeen through cover. Moeen wafts one in and Head nimbly stepts out and pumps the ball over mid-on for FOUR. Short and drifting in. Head waits on it and flicks through square-leg for two runs.

Moeen slides one in and Khawaja makes some room to tonk the ball over long-on for SIX. Short and wide and Khawaja slices it through point for a single.

Moeen mixes up his lengths but Head lines up well behind the ball to defend. He plays out a maiden.

Khawaja and Head return as Stokes leads his side back to the field. Moeen Ali to resume the bowling.

Head and Khawaja ward off a probing spell from Stokes and an over of Joe Root before heading into Lunch. What a morning for England, conceding just 64 runs in 27 overs for three wickets.

Stokes starts with another no-ball. Stokes to Smith, LOUD SHOUT and given! Erasmus raises his finger after a long thought as Stokes slides one in to hit Smith high on the pads. He plays around it but reviews. But it’s THREE REDS on the replay! Smith falls as the England captain picks up a massive, massive wicket!

Steven Smith lbw b Stokes 16 (59b)

Here’s Ben Stokes with the ball. He begins with a no-ball. Considerably fuller length on offer and Smith gets an inside-edge down to fine leg for a single.

Moeen is getting the odd ball to turn and keep low. Smith does well to wait and move to his right and play as late as possible. Just a single from the over.

Robinson slides one and Smith pushes it down the ground for three runs. Excellent commitment from Broad to put in a late dive to save a run.

Moeen offers a speck of room and Khawaja dances out and smears the ball through extra cover for FOUR. He attempts again but Moeen goes flatter to wind him down.

Just an element of surprise from Stokes as he replaces Brook with Ollie Robinson. Smith finds a few runs as Robinson continues to hit the deck hard.

Wow! Harry Brook replaces Stuart Broad into the attack. Dibbly-dobbly on length and Smith taps it back. Sharp one. Brook slides one and Smith nearly clips it to the short mid-wicket fielder. “What’s coming next?” shouts Bairstow.

Smith continues to intently dig out Anderson’s attack on the stumps. Smith shuffles across to flick the ball to mid-wicket for one run.

Broad to Warner, OUT! Dragged on! Broad gets Warner for the 15th time in Test cricket. A nothing short there from the Australian opener. Marnus Labuschagne is in at 3. Broad to Labuschagne, OUT! A golden duck for the World No. 1! What a delivery from Broad and a stunning catch from Bairstow. Broad lands one on the full outside the fifth-stump line and gets it to gently move away and Labuschagne feeds one it and gets a thick outside-edge, pouched brilliantly by Bairstow leaping low to his right. Steve Smith in at 4. Broad on a hat-trick! He sends it wide down leg.

David Warner b Broad 9 (27b 2x4); Marnus Labuschagne c †Bairstow b Broad 0 (1b)

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Broad offers a rare loosener to Khawaja who swivels to pull through mid-wicket for FOUR. Broad returns with a sharp inswinger that cuts past Khawaja down to Bairstow’s right.

In comes James Anderson. Anderson sends in a streak of outswingers concealing one gentle incoming delivery to Khawaja. Neatly fended off. Another maiden.

Stuart Broad to open proceedings, Warner on strike. Broad runs in from around the wicket and shapes it away gently, clipping the outside-half of Warner’s blade towards point. Warner blocks out the incoming deliveries and plays out a maiden.

A moment of applause for the legendary Bob Willis before start of play before the Englishmen take the field. Out comes the Australian openers.

Just about five minutes from the scheduled start of play. The hover cover is still on the field with dark clouds still in the vicinity.

The pitch has been rolled and the hover cover is moving off and we will have a five-minute delay.

The clouds have descended in Birmingham and seems like we may have a stop-start kind of day.

A superb century from Joe Root, his first against Australia since 2015, helped England race to 393-8 before declaring on the opening day of the first Ashes Test, a move that did not bear fruit as the tourist held firm to finish on 14-0 at stumps.

In a move typical of the unconventional, attacking approach adopted by skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, England gave itself four overs to bowl at Australia on Friday, without any success.

After an aggressive England enjoyed a positive start with the bat in Birmingham, the key wickets of Stokes and firebrand Harry Brook left the home side on 176-5 and staring at the possibility of being skittled out quickly.

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However, as has been the case for many years, Root steadied the ship, putting together a partnership of 121 with fellow Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow, who eventually fell for 78, to save his country in the hour of need again.

Root pulled out some outrageous shots in an incredible innings, with his century greeted with raucous applause by an Edgbaston crowd, with its former skipper raising home hopes of a first Ashes series win in eight years, finishing unbeaten on 118.

England did all they could to take a wicket before the close of play, with Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson steaming in from either end, but David Warner and Usman Khawaja stood firm.

- Reuters

Day 2 of the first England vs Australia Ashes Test match will be shown live on Sony Sports Network from 3:30 PM IST.

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