At Old Trafford, Australia kept their Ashes-saving mission alive and kicking, with Mitchell Starc stepping up to take three crucial England wickets.
In their quest to win the third Test and avoid a third consecutive Ashes series defeat, Australia endured tough conditions on day three, displaying resilience and hard work to maintain control.
Although Starc (3-75) struggled for much of the day, his dismissals of Alastair Cook just before lunch and century-maker Kevin Pietersen lbw in the final half hour made a significant impact for Australia.
The vital contributions of fast bowling warrior Ryan Harris (2-50) also played a role, as he energized the team by dismissing Jonathan Trott early on and then clean bowling Ian Bell, the series’ top-performing batsman, after tea.
At stumps, England stood at 7-294 from 120 overs, still trailing by 233 runs on the first innings.
England needs to score 34 runs to avoid the follow-on, and regardless of Australia’s intentions to enforce it, they must dismiss Matt Prior (6 not out) and Stuart Broad (9 not out) cheaply while keeping the match going amidst the ever-present threat of rain in Manchester.
Having faced a 347-run defeat at Lord’s, and staring down the possibility of their worst losing streak in Test cricket history, Australia’s performance was commendable.
Pietersen’s remarkable 113, which featured 12 fours and two sixes, left Australia regretting a missed opportunity in the 73rd over when they chose not to challenge a not out lbw call against Shane Watson. A review would have seen England’s best batsman depart for 62.
Had that occurred, England could have been at 5-176, breaking the significant partnership between Pietersen and Bell.
Instead, the duo added 115 runs before a determined Australia, led by Starc and Harris, rallied once more.
On a flat pitch, the seamers faced a challenging task, especially with Nathan Lyon (0-77) failing to make an impression.
Expected to perform well on a wicket offering turn and bounce, the spinner was exploited by Pietersen and Bell, in particular.
Pietersen took him to task, hitting two successive sixes to bring up his half-century, leaving Australia hoping that Lyon can recover for the second innings.
After declaring at 7(dec)-527, Australia had solidified their lead when they sent England into lunch at 4-119.
However, the Pietersen-Bell partnership soon became a source of frustration for Australia, especially following the latest disappointment with DRS.
Although it was a vital chance missed, Australia couldn’t dwell on it too much due to how far Pietersen had come down the pitch.
Watson, who has been labeled selfish concerning DRS while batting, was in favor of a review, but wicketkeeper Brad Haddin and captain Michael Clarke felt the delivery was heading down leg.
Shortly after, Clarke looked towards the dressing room to confirm if they’d made the right decision.
An expressionless Darren Lehmann gestured that Pietersen would have been out, leading Clarke to angrily swing his arm and curse in frustration.
For a while, Australia lingered in disappointment, but they eventually refocused to prevent the moment from becoming a pivotal turning point.
