Second Ashes Test: Warner, Labuschagne fifties put Australia in charge

Adelaide, Dec 16: Marnus Labuschagne (95*) and David Warner (95) ensured that Australia had the upper hand on day one of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide with the score at 221/2. Winning the toss, stand-in skipper Steve Smith decided to have a bat first. But the first session would prove to be a trial by fire for the hosts as the returning James Anderson and Stuart Broad consistently put the Australian batters under pressure. They were almost metronomic, pitching the ball in the right areas with Marcus Harris and David Warner struggling to keep the scorecard ticking. After a couple of close calls, England would finally reap the rewards for their discipline. Harris' eyes lit up at a short delivery from Broad, but he failed to get any sort of a decent connection. Jos Buttler then went flying to his right and took a sensational catch as the opener went back to the pavilion for 3. Warner was edging closer to his century, upping the scoring rate in order to scale the landmark. On 95 though, he would perish with a loose shot which left him in disbelief. Stokes bowled one short and wide trying to incite a rash shot out of the opener and the plan worked to perfection. Warner would end up flat-batting it straight to Broad at covers as England finally had something to celebrate. With the temperatures set to rise in Adelaide, England now have a big task in hand to wrestle back the control of the game on day two.