The Ashes best bets for day two and odds: Australia take early control

Free cricket tips, best bets and analysis for the Ashes between Australia and England.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 4am Friday

Scoreboard
Australia 221-2 (Marnus Labuschagne 95 not out, David Warner 95)

Best prices
2-5 Australia, 13-5 England, 16-1 Draw

Story of day one

England were given a lift just hours before play started in Adelaide with news that Australia captain Pat Cummins had been ruled out of the second Ashes Test after being deemed a close contact of someone who tested positive for Covid-19.

And when the returning Stuart Broad claimed opener Marcus Harris for just three, things were look rosy for the tourists.

But the joy was short-lived and it proved to be another demoralising day down under for England, whose bowlers were ground down by the resolute pairing of David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne.

They shared a stand of 172 after Harris' early dismissal to put the Aussies in complete control in Adelaide.

For the second Test running Warner fell short of what would have been a deserved century as he fell for 95 off the bowling of Ben Stokes.

Stand-in skipper Steve Smith, taking charge for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal which saw stripped of the captaincy, and Labuschagne, who was dropped twice by England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, then saw the hosts through the tricky twilight period to end day one on 221-2.

England opted for a five-man seam attack, leaving out spinner Jack Leach, and looked very one-dimensional.

Star of the day

Fresh from his 94 in the first innings in Brisbane, Warner was in destructive mood again and made 95 from 167 balls.

It was the third-slowest of his 32 Test fifties - 108 balls - but he picked up the pace as England's bowlers tired and will be extremely disappointed with his dismissal as he scythed a short ball from Stokes straight to Stuart Broad at cover.

Moment of the day

England wicketkeeper Buttler, who showed excellent athleticism to dismiss Harris down the leg side, twice dropped the in-form Labuschagne at crucial stages.

Buttler put down a difficult chance with Australia's star number three on 21 but it was his inexplicable drop late in the day, when Labuschagne was on 95, that really hurt England.

View from the camp

"That was massive for the team just getting through that period, me and Steve. It sets us up really well to get a big first-innings score on Friday.

"The last bit of play there I just wavered a bit where I played that shot and got dropped. I was a bit in disbelief, but it's my job to make sure I capitalise on that now."

Marnus Labuschagne, Australia batsmen

Day two preview

England's tactics will come under scrutiny.

Not only was Mark Wood, their only genuine pace option, left out but captain Joe Root also went without a spin option, preferring his chances with a five-man seam attack.

Root later had to bowl his part-time off-spin under the lights to speed up the over-rate and with temperatures in Adelaide expected to soar to 39C, Australia could be on course for a big total.

Trusty allies Labuschagne and Smith won't be easy to dismiss and then they still have Travis Head, who is averaging over 50 in home Tests after his knock of 152 in Brisbane, to come.

With Australia already sitting pretty on 221-2, quotes of 10-11 about them surpassing 460 first-innings runs could be well worth taking given the England bowling attack could wilt in the Adelaide heat.

Best bet

Australian to score over 460.5 first innings runs
1pt 10-11 bet365

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