The third Test is headed for a thrilling conclusion and the Poms are in the box seat of an evenly poised game judging by English media’s reaction after day three at Headingley.
But there is caution among the experts with warnings that captain Ben Stokes can’t do it all on his own and the other batters need to do their job rather than relying on their match-winning all-rounder.
Under gloomy skies and with the rose-shaped Headingley light towers in operation after the rain cleared on the third evening, the tourists lost six wickets in 20.1 overs to be all out for 224.
England went to stumps after a wet day three at 0-27 in pursuit of 251, holding all the cards but still far from assured of a victory that will keep them in the series.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain wrote for the Mail on Sunday that the home side was in the box seat but needed to play smarter than the previous two Tests to close out victory.
“We know England will remain positive, as we saw in the brief opening to their innings last night, and the fielding side can lose control very quickly here, as we have already seen in another brilliant Headingley Test,” he wrote.
“The key now is for England to remain positive but also slightly smarter. When you’ve got five Test hundreds like Moeen Ali and when you can bat as well as Woakes it’s not in your favour to try to take the pull on towards the long boundary, as both did in the first innings.
“I believe the odds are slightly in England’s favour now, particularly as they got through to the close without loss last night, and because they have Ben Stokes in their side.”
Stuart Broad, in his Mail on Sunday column, believes England can not only chase down this victory target but go on to claim the next two Tests to steal the Ashes away from Australia.
“When you win the toss and bowl, then end up chasing 251, you’re pretty happy, particularly at a ground like Headingley. Today is a huge day for us, there’s no doubt about that — to stay in the series we have to win the game, and if we do make it 2-1 it will be the first step of three,” he wrote.
“Before this match, we said that we’d won three games in a row before and could do it again, so we’ve got a chance to take No.1 off here.”
Over at the UK Telegraph, chief sports writer Oliver Brown said it was time for Stokes’ teammates to show they’re not a one-man band with the bat.
“This time, England cannot simply place all trust in their grimacing goliath of a captain. Ben Stokes, already suffering with both knee and gluteal injuries, has done more than enough to dig his mercurial team out of the mire when half-fit at best,” he wrote.
“Now it is imperative that the top order delivers. Captivating they might be, but Stokes’s pieces of late heroism are far too precarious to be sustained.
“All of the opening quartet must rediscover their poise and self-assurance if England are not to rely on Stokes, their hobbling talisman, once more.
“It is the responsibility of the men at the top to take care of business, and not to consign Stokes to the heart of another nerve-shredder.”
Chris Woakes celebrates dismissing Alex Carey. (Photo by Stu Forster – ECB/ECB via Getty Images)
Australian keeper Alex Carey departed for just five on day three after making only eight in the first innings and The Mirror believes the sledging from fans in fancy dress in the western terrace is having an effect.
“Fred and Wilma Flinstone were in the Headingley house, as were enough bishops to run the Church of England. There was a prawn, plenty of bananas, and someone dressed as a dartboard.
“In Australia’s first innings at Headingley, he scratched around for 16 balls before departing for eight and, in this second innings, he looked utterly uncomfortable before chopping a Woakes delivery on to his stumps.
“Whether or not his discomfort was, in any way, related to the abusive chanting – it’s not often you hear a bishop chanting w* at someone – is debatable. But as he was booed back to the dressing-room, he had been rattled and, for a spell, Australia had been rattled.”
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