AUS vs ENG 2nd Ashes Test Live Cricket Score. (AP photo)Ashes 2nd Test Day 1 Highlights: Joe Root finally scored his first Test century in Australia, and his 40th overall and he then switched to T20 mode along with Jofra Archer for the last wicket and pushed England past the 300-run mark. Root and Archer’s 10th-wicket stand went past 50 in just 29 balls. Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc has taken six wickets. Earlier, England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first against Steven Smith’s Australia in the second of the five match Test series at Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday The hosts have already won the first Test and took a 1-0 lead.
Adapting to the day/night conditions at Gabba will not be child’s play and with Australia almost invincible in pink ball Tests, the mountain is a pretty steep one which England have to climb. The Aussies have won all the pink ball matches except one which was a shock defeat to West Indies last year. Except that, Australia have played 14 D/N Tests and have won 13 of them. England, meanwhile, haven’t won an Ashes test at the Gabba since 1986 and haven’t won a test on Australian soil since the 2010-11 series.
What might work in England’s favour is that Australia will likely be without their regular skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Both of them were absent from the first game too and England should have taken advantage of that but they didn’t. They are, however, unlikely to make the same mistake again.
Teams:
England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer
Australia (Playing XI): Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith(c), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey(w), Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY 1 OF AUS vs ENG 2nd TEST IN BRISBANE
Well, Root and Archer have made sure that England's decision to bat on pays off as much as possible. The partnership ends on an incredible 61 off 44 balls. Root on 135 off 202 balls, he gets handshakes from a couple of Aussies and a standing ovation from the crowd, Archer on 32 off 26.
Mitchell Starc has put in a shift and a half today, he looked pretty sore after he bowled his last over of the day, his 19th overall and he finishes with figures of 6/71.
Well one could debate the wisdom of England's tactics, batting on with one wicket left instead of declaring and giving Australia's top order some jittery overs to navigate. But then the fact remains that Joe Root and Jofra Archer have turned it on and put a partnership of 50 off just 29 balls for the 10th wicket.
The latest of those big shots is Root reverse slapping Boland with aplomb for a six over deep third. That takes him to 128 ion 194 balls, Archer at the other end on 28 off 19.
England are 314/9
Mitchell Starc has his five-wicket haul with Gus Atkinson holing out after top-edging a pull but what an astonishing piece of work this is from Alex Carey. Carey and Labuschagne both ran behind for that catch, they both converged but Carey makes sure he makes it stick.
Well, Root has tucked one down the leg-side for a couple to get to his 100. That is his maiden century on this soil. If there is any one place he did not leave his mark on, it is Australia, and today he has completed it. What a great player he has been for England. He is a joy to watch when he is batting at the peak of his powers, like he did today.
Root had whipped Boland off his pads to the boundary to get there. He finishes that over on 106 of 184 balls.
England 260/7 in 66 overs
Root is in his 90s here. He has batted quite well today, and the stage is all set for his maiden ton in Australia. The crowd for the last 30 minutes has been cheering his every run. This once again has been a good passage for England Jacks has played quite well since coming in supported Root nicely.
We have reached the water break in the night session here, and Australia have made a roaring comeback in this game. Those two wickets they have picked did give a spring in their step. It did look like they were getting a bit frustrated as they went into the dinner break and had started that way, but that run out, and Jamie Smith's wicket has brought them back into the game.
Will Jacks is the batter in the middle. He is a pretty good batter, but it is the conditions which he is in that he would not have faced before. This is not a venomous pitch as it was in Perth if he applies himself survives tonight wicket will be pretty good for batting tomorrow afternoon, presenting him opportunity to score runs.
Scott Boland has bowled quite magnificently today, with not too much to show for in the wickets column. The ball is moving off the seam quite nicely at this stage of the game. He has a superb seam presentation, does Boland, and if there is something in the wicket, the ball will move either way, and under lights, that is what has helped him thus far.
Those are the 10 minutes Australia needed in this match first, it was a brain fade from Ben Stokes as he tried to sneak a single which was not there and he ran halfway down and Root denied the Inglis hit the, and then it was Jamie Smith who got a peach of a delivery. The ball hit the seam and jagged back to remove the middle stump England have to be extra cautious now here.
Joe Root has looked magnificent today. Right from the moment he walked into the middle to bat, he looked magnificent. The way things are going today, we might end up seeing him score his maiden Test match ton. Also, credit to the curator of this ground, what a magnificent pitch he has prepared here. As we update, Ben Stokes has got himself out here.
It might be time Steven Smith considers bringing in a spinner into the attack. The part of Travis Head or he himself into the attack for just a few overs as a change of pace tactic. One of the drawbacks also this attack is apart from Starc rest of the attack bowl at military medium, hence there is no point of difference.
Australia has bowled only 50 overs here, and they are into the final session. They would love to have a crack with the second new ball at this time of the day, but the lack of spin and all pace attack meant their over-rate has been quite low and there is a high probability that they will have to come back in the afternoon tomorrow again to make use of the second new ball which might not be ideal.
Neser and Starc are the ones who start the session for Australia. If England manages to get past this burst from those two, they should be happy about it for the remainder of the day. However, it is not going to be easy, as Nesser knows these conditions inside out, and Mitchell Starc is the master with the pink ball.
We are back for the final session. This is the most fascinating point in this Test match, and everything will be measured and quantified, the swing, the seam, the scoring right under the lights. England are in a superb position and given the batters who are in the middle and their tempers regardless of the time of the day things should not alter much do stay with us intresting session coming up.
That's Dinner break here in Gabba. This is a superb batting effort from England. Regardless of what they might end up scoring from here on, they have walked the walk today. Australia have picked up two more in that session, but the pace at which England batted and the rate they have maintained, we might see them posting a good first innings total.
Michael Nesser has brought the attack here. Australians do seem a bit frustrated with how things have manifested today. After the first 15 minutes of play, they would have thought they could skittle out England for a low score, but they have batted quite nicely here, especially Root and Brook.
We are 10 minutes away from the dinner break here. Kudos to Joe Root; he has played quite superbly. First, he has put on a nice partnership with Crawley and then with Harry Brook. He is on 67, he does have an opportunity to put on his maiden Test match 100 on Australian shores.
Boland is an important bowler at this stage of the day, as his accuracy in lines and lengths can be quite testing in terms of concentration for the batters. He bowls those nagging areas; even the slightest amount of miscalculation in head batters might end up edging the ball. Interesting passage this.
Mitchell Starc has got rid of Harry Brook here. What a wicket that is at this point in the game. The sun has started to dip, and the light is going down, and with 30 minutes to go for the break, Ben Stokes has walked into the middle, and it is going to be a nightmarish time for him dealing with that moment under the shadows.
Australia’s stand-in captain and batting talisman Steve Smith was on Sunday seen batting with eye blacks beneath his eyes as his side began preparations for the second Ashes Test against England at Brisbane, starting on December 4, a day-night pink-ball affair. (Read more from Shankar Narayan)
If you bat well, you get a chance to manipulate the game. Hopefully we can bowl well. (On Cummins) He was close, he’s done everything right. It would have been slightly risky this game. (Inglis’ batting position) He’ll be batting in the middle-order. Neser is in for Lyon. With the pink ball, it’s going to offer a bit more under lights. We’ve done well in the past, it’s a new game. It’s going to be a great atmosphere.
Quick primer on day-night Tests over on the CricViz Substack. Good data showing when it's actually hardest to bat, how the pink ball swings differently, and pushing back on the idea that medium pace is more relevant here than in normal Aussie Tests.
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) December 2, 2025
📝https://t.co/PTrttxxpQt pic.twitter.com/OwOkBkw3g5
Harry Brook has walked into the middle and he is looking to counterattack already. The situation is tailor-made for him to play his natural game score some runs quickly, and once he gets an eye in he scores a big one pacing the innings normally.
The way runs have flown in this session so far, this is where the likes of Nathan Lyon would have been quite tidy. Although Nesser is a capable bowler and hits good lines and lengths today, he has not been up to the mark. Well well, just as we update, Nesser has got rid of Zack Crawley. It was an underedge from Crawley as he tried to pull one, and it went to the keeper.
It is Doggett and Nesser who start after the break for Australia. With the number of overs both Boland and Starc have bowled in that afternoon session, one would expect these two to start, but there is a risk that these two might end up giving a few easy runs away, which might ease up the pressure a bit.
We are back for the evening session. The morning one did belong to England, and Australia will be hoping to break the fabulous partnership between Joe Root and Zak Crawley. Although the conditions are looking good for batting, this is the session and the one after, things might change due to the setting sun.
England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer
Australia (Playing XI): Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith(c), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey(w), Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett
The pink Kookaburra ball that gains a magenta lustre under the crimson Australian skies is a sight of dread for England. Thrice have they lost Ashes Tests to its malevolent shimmer, by bewildering margins of 120, 275 runs and 146 runs. The fourth exchange, that unfolds in Brisbane, in the cricket’s most fabled rivalry, is cast in the backdrop of a bruising defeat at Perth and the intimidating mastery of their adversaries with the pink ball. (Read more from Sandip G)
Australia’s stand-in captain and batting talisman Steve Smith was on Sunday seen batting with eye blacks beneath his eyes as his side began preparations for the second Ashes Test against England at Brisbane, starting on December 4, a day-night pink-ball affair. (Read more from Shankar Narayan)
That's the Tea break here on Day 1. What a fabulous session England has had after losing those two early wickets. Earlier English sides would have succumbed to that initial pressure put on by Aussies when Mitchell Starc picked up two wickets, but not this one. They did not panic, they have shown their authority, and now, the way that first session went, it does seem like the Bazballers have arrived. In the first game, it was in a bit of fast-forward mode, and nobody could gauge what was happening, but in this one, they played more like their usual selves, and to be fair to Australia, this pitch has been quite superb for batting. We have to see if it will change as we head into the evening session. Do join us post the break.
We are closing in on break here. Five minutes away and England will be extremely happy if the wickets column continues to stay that way. This will give a lot of confidence to that English dressing room and as per Australia given how this wicket has played so far did the miss a trick by not playing Nathan Lyon.
Root has got a good start here. He has gotten into his 30s quite fluently. One place he could not crack a score in his career is here in Australia, and in Perth, he did look like a cat on a hot tin roof, and the surface there too was quite helpful to the seamers, but here although he did come to bat early, the wicket is good to bat on. Once we get into the latter sessions, as the lights take effect, there might be some natural movement of the ball is something to be seen. Also one of these two batters since they have gotten themselves in now have to go on and make a century. As we update Crawley scores 50 here.
Mitchell Starc has replaced Doggett here. While it was expected he will come back into the attack before the Tea break it does seem like Steven Smith has been a bit proactive in bringing him back into the attack also we have not seen Nesser after the intial three overs burst will he Smith bring him back into the attack from Scott Boland's end who has bowled three overs or will he give him a long break. As we update, Smith has turned to Cameron Green, who is fifth pacer Smith is using in this afternoon session already.
Since the water break, Australia has bowled well here. Both Doggett and Boland have pulled back their lengths and are operating around that fourth stump channel. There is not a lot to drive here for both Crawley and Root, and this is an England side which does get a bit frustrated when the boundaries don't come for too long, and we might see sooner rather than later a sucker ball coming back in or a fuller one asking the batters to drive. Good tactics from Australia at this point in the game if not picking wickets do not let them score runs.
Doggett has started quite well here. To be fair to him, he did look good in the first Test as well. He has grinded it out in domestic cricket for years, and that experience could be seen in the first game, and yet again right away as he bowled that first delivery, he was right on the mark. Although he is not a pretty quick bowler is Doggett is quite skiddy and tends to hurry the batters on, and his back of length is quite suited as the first change one. But once again, like other bowlers in this attack, he is not quick enough.
Apart from those two wickets, England has fought back quite nicely here. Both Crawley and Root played at a pretty good tempo and have put on a 50-run stand. Mitchell Starc has been the pick of the bowlers for Australia with two wickets. The most important so far is that the wickets do not have any demons in them, the ball is coming nicely onto the bat, and the first two dismissals of English batters have been induced due to poor batting and flawed techniques more than anything. Given how things have panned out in this hour a lot might depend on how Smith will use Starc for the rest of the day espically in this first innings with limited to work with in the surface because of his high pace.
Australia has brought in the change bowlers here, and it is Scott Boland and Brendon Doggett who have come into the attack. Boland has come in as the first change here. It is an interesting call from Smith not to use Boland first up and give Michael Nesser the new ball. Was it to spread out the experience in the attack, or is it because Nesser is the local boy and that would give him the advantage. Regardless this attack without Hazlewood and Cummins is not quick per se they are around that 135 mark which might get a bit counterproductive as the day goes on for Australia only if and if England do not inflict too much damage to themselves before that 35-40 over mark.
Crawley has started quite well here. There has been a lot of talk about him coming into the series but he is double edged sword is Crawley he has the potential to hammer the opposition like Travis Head not as consistently as him but he is a match-winner is Crawley and he has got himself a start here and if he goes onto make a score runs will come quite quickly for England and this ground is such that runs will be scored at 4s and the way the Bazball bats we might even see them score at sixes but they have to give themselves time Crawley has gotten away he needs to make sure he scores a big one here.
Mitchell Starc once again has started well The thing about Starc, which makes him tougher to face than anyone else, at his pace and his ability to swing both ways. He tends to mix it up, that fuller length quite brilliantly. Apart from bowling those full inswingers, he also delivers that sucker ball from time to time, which seems drivable, but batters tend to get lulled into thinking they might drive for a boundary but edge it to the slip-cordon early in the piece. There was one of those deliveries in the previous over against Crawley, which he delivered and good on the opener that he left the ball.
Michael Nesser is the bowler who took the new ball from the other end. He is pitching it up, but Zack Crawley up to the task has been playing it quite nicely. Although he is only 17, he has looked quite good today, the way he has batted. It is a good pitch this one in Brisbane yes the good ball will do bit but once the ball loses a bit of shine the ball will come nicely onto the bat and Crawley is a kind of batter who will enjoy these conditions througly if he spends some time in the middle and he does have a tendency not just to score tons but big centuries.
Starc has got another wicket already, 15 minutes into the session. It was a nothing shot from Pope, it was a delivery he could have left both on line and length and tried to play a shot which only he can explain, and chopped it onto stumps. There is everything wrong with his technique on that occasion for the Australian conditions. As a result of that, wicket Joe Root has to face the music quite early here. Winning the toss and opting to bat first again, Ben Stokes would be wondering if he made the right call here.
Mitchell Starc does it again. It was a fabulous delivery from him. The ball pitched and moved away. Ben Duckett, who doesn't have the habit of leaving the ball, played one on the fourth stump, and the ball carried to slip. That is a massive wicket for Australia first up, as he is one player who could have hurt them. Ollie Pope is the new batter. He is a nervous starter and has to be wary of Starc, who has got his tail up already. He picked up 10 in the previous Test and already has one here. And mind you, he is one of the best bowlers in world cricket with the pink ball.
The conditions in Brisbane look perfect for cricket. The crowd is filling in nicely. This is the third time a Day/Night game is being played at this venue, and last time West Indies did pull off a surprise win and England too have to deliver something similar if they have to keep the series alive. It is going to be a fascinating day of cricket do stay with us to get all the updates.
If you bat well, you get a chance to manipulate the game. Hopefully we can bowl well. (On Cummins) He was close, he's done everything right. It would have been slightly risky this game. (Inglis' batting position) He'll be batting in the middle-order. Neser is in for Lyon. With the pink ball, it's going to offer a bit more under lights. We've done well in the past, it's a new game. It's going to be a great atmosphere.
We are gonna have a bat. Different conditions here. You give yourself the best chance when you bat. We've had extra time to build up for this game. The guys are raring and ready to go. I'm not too sure (how the wicket is going to play) to be honest. Lot of people look at the wickets and say it's going to this, it's going to do that, but you never really know till you get out there. We have an opportunity to put some runs on the board first up. (Biggest week of his captaincy career?) Certainly, we are coming in here on the back of a disappointing week last week, hopefully we right those wrongs
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer
Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith(c), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey(w), Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett
Australia’s stand-in captain and batting talisman Steve Smith was on Sunday seen batting with eye blacks beneath his eyes as his side began preparations for the second Ashes Test against England at Brisbane, starting on December 4, a day-night pink-ball affair. (Read more from Shankar Narayan)
The pink Kookaburra ball that gains a magenta lustre under the crimson Australian skies is a sight of dread for England. Thrice have they lost Ashes Tests to its malevolent shimmer, by bewildering margins of 120, 275 runs and 146 runs. The fourth exchange, that unfolds in Brisbane, in the cricket’s most fabled rivalry, is cast in the backdrop of a bruising defeat at Perth and the intimidating mastery of their adversaries with the pink ball. (Read more from Sandip G)
Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Mitch Starc, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon/Pat Cummins, Brendan Doggett
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer
Hello and welcome to our live blog of Australia taking on England in the 2nd Ashes Test. It is going to be a pink ball affair, hence it is unlikely we will be having another long game. We might see another Test, which might be a 3-day affair. Last year India's game at Adelaide got done and dusted in two and a half days. Given the Bazballers play, we might see more or less the same do Stay with us, it is going to be a good day of cricket.
The pink Kookaburra ball that gains a magenta lustre under the crimson Australian skies is a sight of dread for England. Thrice have they lost Ashes Tests to its malevolent shimmer, by bewildering margins of 120, 275 runs and 146 runs. The fourth exchange, that unfolds in Brisbane, in the cricket’s most fabled rivalry, is cast in the backdrop of a bruising defeat at Perth and the intimidating mastery of their adversaries with the pink ball.
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