England lost their last six wickets for 47 runs in the first session on Day 3 to concede a 91-run lead to Australia.
In reply to Australia’s first innings total of 416, the Three Lions were 278/4 at the close of play on Day 2. However, the hosts lost their last six wickets for 47 runs in the opening session on Day 3 to concede a significant 91-run lead to the visitors.
Heading into the third day, Ben Stokes and Harry Brook were unbeaten in the middle for England with swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow still to come. However, the Australian pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood troubled the English batters with short-pitched deliveries and bundled them out for 325.
England's all-out attacking approach despite the field being set for short-ball trap didn’t go down well with batting legend Geoffrey Boycott, who covered his face with his hand after Brook's ugly-looking dismissal.
Boycott’s reaction has gone viral on social media and he himself responded to one of the tweets that stated, “This photo of @GeoffreyBoycott says all you need to know about England's batting since about 5.30 last night. #rubbish #TheAshes”.
In reply, the 82-year-old wrote: “Yes it does, batting without brains. Chatting to my captain Mike Brearley”.
Opener Ben Duckett was the top scorer in England’s first innings with 98 off 134 balls, including 9 boundaries.
According to Boycott, it is this approach regardless of the situation of the game that resulted in Duckett missing his century by two runs.
“They want to attack everything and never be tied down. So when you’re like that, ego takes over and it got Pope and Duckett out," Geoffrey Boycott wrote in The Telegraph.
“Australia kept playing on England’s ego and Joe Root obliged. The hook shots let Australia back in the match when they had them by the throat. At one stage, England were cruising and very much on top … but surrendered to this bumper barrage," he added.
Coming to the match, Australia were 130/2 at stumps on Day 3, extending their second-innings lead to 221 runs. Usman Khawaja (58*) and Steve Smith (6*) were unbeaten in the middle for the tourists.