Can England overcome their dismal record with the second new-ball?

The oldest rivalry in the history of Test cricket, the Ashes has lived up to all the hype and expectations as the first three days of the match produced riveting moments to enthral cricket frenzy fans all across the globe. 

The visiting side set foot at the Gabba under the pump having lost nine out of the last ten Test matches on Australian soil and a solitary draw at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2017. 

On a wicket with a tinge of grass, England won the toss and elected to bat first. However, this was not the only surprising call made by the team management as they decided to field a bowling attack without the experience of Stuart Broad and James Anderson. While Anderson was rested in order to keep him fresh for the day and night fixture next week, Broad missed out as England opted for Jack Leach and the express pace of Mark Wood. 

With the selection dramas set aside, the onus of the side relied heavily on Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed to set a solid foundation in the first innings and start the series well at the fortress of the Aussie side. However, the side got off to a horrendous start as the southpaw was dismissed for a golden duck, making him the second player to be dismissed on the first ball of an Ashes series after 1936 at the same venue. 

England failed to recover from the early jolt and were bundled out for 147 runs in the first innings courtesy of a five-wicket haul from Pat Cummins. Historically the second and the third day is known to be the best for batting at the Gabba, and the formidable Australian outfit proved just that. 

While David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne notched up half-centuries, the second day witnessed one of the greatest innings in the history of Ashes rivalry. Travis Head, battling to cement his place in the Australian side, smashed the third-fastest Ashes century to propel the team to 425 runs and gain a massive lead of 278 runs.  

While most people expected Australia to register a thumping win after their heroics in the first innings, the England outfit staged a dramatic comeback riding on an unbeaten 159-run partnership for the third wicket between Dawid Malan and Joe Root. The duo steadied the innings after initial jitters and managed to end the day unscathed with 220 runs for the loss of the openers. 

In a game with plenty of ebbs and flows, Australia would still believe they are well ahead in this game, and the numbers indeed stack up in favour of the home team to ensure the fortress is not breached anytime soon. 

England's struggle against the second new ball

Despite a remarkable fightback that helped England crawl their way into this Test, the numbers for the team with the second new ball due in ten overs is something every England fan would not want to check. 

In the longest format of the game since 2017, England batters have struggled with the second new ball and have a ball per wicket ratio of 43.7, which is the worst among all the teams. With 186 dismissals in 40 innings, England have struggled to negotiate that period of play and has often led to their downfall. 

On the other hand, Australia will be pleased with the numbers for Strac as the left-arm seamer is lethal with the second new ball and scalped 15 wickets at a ball per wicket ratio of 30.4, which is the best among the current bowling unit. 

The 31-year old struggled with his line and length in the second innings and conceded at an economy rate of 4.28 runs. With the new ball around the corner, the team management would hope for Starc to produce his barrage of in-swinging deliveries to dismantle the batting unit of the opposition. 

Numbers in the second session of day four 

While England gained absolute control in the post-tea session on the third day with assured footwork from Malan and Root, England fans would hope for the duo to take the team to safety after a heavy deficit. 

However, over the past couple of years, the visiting side has endured a torrid time in the second session of the fourth day and lost a flurry of wickets compounding to their trouble. 

England have lost 45 wickets in 13 innings with a wicket every 38.5 deliveries in the post lunch interval, which is the most for them across all days in the Tests. 

With numbers favouring the home side, the batting unit of the Three Lions will need a monumental effort to stage a comeback in the game and head to the Adelaide Oval with a clean slate.