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by Elizabeth Botcherby & Timothy Abraham

  1. Eng 36-1

    Something about talent being nothing without hard work and application is the case with Jacob Bethell, I think, Alex. He needs to play more red-ball cricket, ultimately.

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    Jacob Bethell has the chance here to come home to his name in lights. I hope he grabs this opportunity with both hands to dispel the noise around the young lad.

    Alex in Wales

  3. Eng 34-1

    Wooosh.

    A brute of a delivery from Mitchell Starc whizzes past the nose of Ben Duckett.

    Thankfully he managed to keep his bat away from it.

  4. Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    You back the Australia bowlers to hit that length on this pitch in a way that you don't feel with England.

  5. Eng 34-1

    Mitchell Starc returns. A switch of ends as he replaces Scott Boland at the Randwick End. Three dots to Ben Duckett to start.

  6. England 34-1 at drinks

    The players take on some liquid refreshment under cloudless skies at the SCG.

  7. Eng 34-1

    Just a single off Michael Neser's second over, courtesy of Ben Duckett opening the face.

  8. How's stat?!

    Andy Zaltzman
    Test Match Special statistician

    46 balls is the longest England opening partnership in this series.

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    RE: Simon Mann (00:16) More like, if you are England's number four or five in this series, you are basically opening the batting....

    Paul, Edingburgh

  10. Eng 33-1

    Scott Boland of AustraliaGetty Images

    Nothing like a bit of schadenfreude to make yourself feel better, William.

    Scott Boland gets one to take off over the head of wicketkeeper Alex Carey and England benefit to the tune of four runs.

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    I can't be the only one wanting us to get thrashed by an innings. We deserve it & it might bring the change we need. Starting with 'Baz' before he wreaks even more permanent damage.

    William in Somerset

  12. Eng 26-1

    I don't think you're the only one to suffer from refreshiety this winter, Catherine.

    It will not settle your nerves any further to discover Ben Duckett has just had a massive waft at a wide one from Scott Boland

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    England's Ben DuckettGetty Images

    I’m scared to refresh the page. Currently on a Sydney Harbour cruise as Mum refused to go to the cricket, which now seems a good shout.

    Catherine, in the middle of Sydney Harbour

  14. Eng 25-1

    Bar the wicket, which was a beauty as Srini at CricViz has pointed out, Mitchell Starc has arguably been the easier of the two Aussie opening bowlers to face.

    Ever proactive, Steve Smith whips the left-arm quick out of the attack after three overs and brings on the decidedly more metronomic Michael Neser.

    Jacob Bethell looks a million dollars as he whips Neser for four through square leg.

  15. Glenn McGrath
    Ex-Australia bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Mitchell Starc is giving the ball chance to swing. With a lead like this, they can afford to try new things.

    There is something in it for the bowlers, but it is still a good batting track.

  16. Eng 18-1

    Scott Boland continues to work away, hoping to extract one of these two with sheer dogged persistence.

    Jacob Bethell picks up a single with a dab.

  17. How's stat?!

    Srinivas Vijaykumar
    CricViz analyst

    Zak Crawley would've been better off defending that from Mitchell Starc, but that was an exceptional delivery from the left-arm seamer to dismiss the right-hander, extremely fast on good length and hitting the top of off-stump.

    The Expected Average (xAvg) of that wicket delivery was as low as 1.5 - making it the lowest of all of Crawley's dismissals in Tests - essentially making it the toughest dismissal delivery the English opener has faced in his Test career.

  18. Jonathan Agnew
    BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

    Jacob Bethell really has the chance to nail down this number three position.

    He is so inexperienced, having played so little cricket and yet finds himself thrust out into this situation.

  19. Eng 17-1

    Jacob Bethell and Ben Duckett manage a single apiece off Mitchell Starc's over. Batting should get easier if these two can see of this tricky-ish period.

  20. Leaving before I get on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back at the crease again...