Root banishes demons with maiden Test ton in Australia

• The first ball at the Gabba is 2pm local (3pm AEDT)
• Listen to every ball live with SEN's incredible team
• Starc takes two early wickets as England look to rebuild
• England has managed to salvage their innings, with Joe Root making a maiden Test century on home soil
• Starc passes Wasim Akram as the greatest left-handed wicket taker in Test Cricket having taken six wickets or more in three of his last four innings

England has taken a commanding position on Day 1 of the Second Ashes Test, with Joe Root finally breaking his Test century drought in Australia.

But while the day may have been England's, the start was certainly not.

After losing the toss and being sent in to bowl once again, Mitchell Starc would repeat what he did in Perth by getting a wicket in the first over of a Test match, with Ben Duckett going for a golden duck.

Two overs later, Starc took the wicket of Ollie Pope, leaving the visitors 2/5 and raising plenty of questions as to whether they had recovered from their First Test performance.

And those concerns weren't helped when Root was dropped on 2 by Steve Smith just three balls after Pope was dismissed.

The former captain and remaining opener Zak Crawley would then steady England's innings, which saw the pair make it to lunch break with a 93-run partnership.

But shortly after the lunch break, Crawley would depart having made 76, having gone after a ball wide of off stump, which was edged to Alex Carey.

Harry Brook would also go a similar way after making 31 off 33, leaving some concern of an England collapse.

Root would hold strong as he slowly worked towards his elusive goal despite a brilliant throw from Josh Inglis to see the end of Ben Stokes, with Jamie Smith then being bowled two balls later.

But that wouldn't prevent the Yorkshireman from getting the monkey off his back and would finally lift the bat aloft on Australian soil in his 16th Test Match in Australia.

While the tail end would have somewhat of a collapse as Starc claimed three wickets within the space of six balls, England, through Jofra Archer and Root, would put on an unbeaten 61-run partnership together to see them get beyond the 300s.

With a total of 325 runs with a wicket remaining, this sees the visitors better any of their previous totals made during the 2021/22 Ashes, helping show some of the improvement that they have made with the bat.

The first ball of Day 2 of the Second Test will start at 3pm AEDT (2pm local time) with SEN having LIVE coverage of every ball bowled throughout its radio network and on the SEN app.

11:00pm - Starc: Day/Night Tests are more suited to Adelaide over Brisbane

Following his third six-wicket haul or greater in his last four Test innings, Mitchell Starc would join SEN Cricket to reflect on his performance.

Once again, the New South Welshman was on form, having now taken 16 wickets in the three innings that he has bowled, seeing him on track for a potentially historic Ashes performance.

When asked by Adam Collins about how he has been able to perform without having Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood alongside him, Starc was happy to play his role but noted that there is plenty left in this match.

Starc: "Yeah, it's just playing my role."

"Patty is not far from being back, and hopefully Josh as well.

"We know the skills of Scotty (Scott Boland), Ness (Michael Neser) and Doggy (Brendan Doggett), albeit with less experience, we know their skills."

"It was a pretty tough day of Test Cricket, I thought, albeit (with) a pink ball. Nine (wickets) for 320 runs is a pretty normal day of Test cricket."

"So it's one day down, and we'll see how the week pans out."

The left-handed bowler was also asked by Bharat Sundaresan about how the pitch at the Gabba differs from the pitch at Adelaide Oval, which is the usual home of Day/Night Tests in Australia.

Starc would note that with the ball going softer in a quicker time compared to what it does in the City of Churches, this will mean that the game will likely go the distance.

Starc: "Yeah, it certainly is."

"I think the pink ball is more suited to Adelaide. When the ball goes soft after 13 overs, it's a reflection of the wicket, not the ball."

"So, this is the fourth pink ball game here. It's done that before; we saw that in the Pakistan game here, where it was a grind for five days.

"So I expect that to be similar with the firmness of the wicket, how low it is cut.

"Yeah, when a ball goes soft after 13 overs, that's a reflection of the wicket."

10:30pm - Stumps

England 9/325 - Root 135, Archer 32

After 11 days of waiting for the Second Test, England have at least partially buried their demons from the Perth Test and have made solid inroads with Joe Root making a fine 135 not out to help England.

It could have been a lot worse for Australia had they not had Mitch Starc in the team, who has continued his fine form, taking 6/71, which now sees him having taken 16 of England's 29 wickets for the series so far.

But seeing what England did with the bat under lights with a soft ball, Australia will be liking their chances of scoring if they can get past the first 15-20 overs."

10:27pm - 10th wicket partnership has helped swing the game towards England

England 9/325 - Root 135, Archer 32

With the unlikely pairing of Joe Root and Jofra Archer cashing in on a 61 run partnership to finish the day, this has led Simon Katich to believe that today has been England's day.

Katich: "This last partnership between Archer and Root has swung the day England's way."

"They would be happy with this."

10:18pm - Root joins in on the sixes front

England 9/315 - Root 129, Archer 28

After seeing Jofra Archer hit two sixes, Joe Root has gone anything you can do, I can do better by hitting a six over third man.

The 10th wicket partnership has now crossed 50. This is getting worrisome for Australia.

10:13pm - England cross the 300 mark

England 9/303 - Root 121, Archer 24

With a score of 303 runs, this sees England outscore any of their 10 innings during their last tour to Australia in 2021/22.

With a 43 run partnership for the 10th wicket, this is starting to see Australia haemorrhaging runs as noted by Gerard Whateley.

10:08pm - Archer hits the first six

England 9/287 - Root 113, Archer 17

He might be the tailender, but Jofra Archer has just smoked Scott Boland's first ball of his 17th over with a beautiful six on the leg side.

He then followed it up by skying it with the ball, miraculously landing safe.

The English are finishing their innings with a bang with that over from the Victorian going for 19 runs.

9:56pm - Starc's incredible run

England 9/269 - Root 111, Archer 0

SEN Cricket's stat man, Tom Morris has been running the numbers on Mitchell Starc's career, and it's clear to see the left-hander is on a generational run at the moment.

9:49pm - Wicket: Starc gets his sixth for the innings

England 9/264 - Root 106, Archer to bat

Two balls after dismissing Gus Atkinson, Starc has claimed the wicket of Brydon Carse, who snicked it to Carey, needing to dive to his left to take it.

The left-hander is having a summer to remember and is certainly on track to have one of the best series in his career.

Jofra Archer is the last man to come in.

9:46pm - Wicket - Carey takes a incredible catch to dismiss Atkinson

England - 8/264, Root 106 , Carse to the crease

Tracking the ball like he would have done when he was playing with the GWS Giants, Alex Carey has taken a great catch to dismiss Gus Atkinson who top edged the ball towards long leg.

9:39pm - Root scores maiden century

England 7/256 - Root 102, Atkinson 0

HE'S DONE IT. AFTER 16 TEST MATCHES DOWN UNDER, JOE ROOT HAS FINALLY SCORED A CENTURY IN THE TEST FORMAT AGAINST AUSTRALIA IN AUSTRALIA.

He's made 40 centuries in his career, but there will be none that feel as sweet as this.

And having achieved one of the few achievements that has alluded his career, SEN Cricket's Adam Collins.

Collins: "He's done it, at long last!"

"Joe Root never stopped believing that this moment would arrive in Australia."

"And he joins three others in Test history (Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar) with 40 (centuries) in a Test career."

"He is an all-time great."

9:33pm - Starc claims his fourth with Jacks removed

England 7/251 - Root 98, Atkinson to the crease

Starc has gotten another one.

Once again, an England player, this time Will Jacks has gone after a ball wide of off stump and has gotten a thick edge on it.

And like the dismissal of Harry Brook, it has found the hands of Steve Smith.

This sees him depart for 19 with Gus Atkinson coming in.

9:30pm - Root almost gets run out

England 6/251 - Root 98, Jacks 19

The nerves and the tension are building at the Gabba, with Joe Root's eagerness almost seeing the batsman run himself out.

He was looking for two and had Jake Weatherald fielding at backward point, threw the ball at the non-strikers' end, it could have been a different story.

But with Root having the strike again, Mitchell Starc is back on.

9:22pm - Root enters the nineties

England 6/248 - Root 96, Jacks 18

For the first time in his Test career, Joe Root has entered the 90s while playing a Test match in Australia.

And he's done so with back to back fours.

He's only four runs away from what would help complete his legacy by finally achieveing the feat in his 16th Test down under.

And the Barmy Army are slowly building themselves up for it.

9:09pm - Joe Root nears best total in Australia

England 6/231 - Root 88, Jacks 9

Joe Root is now just one run away from his best total in an away Ashes series, and 12 runs away from getting his first Test century in Australia.

The Gabba has proven to be a happy hunting ground for the No. 4 with his current best of 89 having occurred at the same venue in the 21/22 series.

Having been the lead batsman for England this innings, there is plenty of pressure on him to break through and really push England into the 300s, as noted by SEN Cricket's Adam Collins.

Collins: "So much on his shoulders now."

"The contributions that Joe Root has made to this England team over a long stretch of time. An all-timer by any measure."

But with the addition of Will Jacks into the line-up, this should help lengthen the tail and give Root every chance of getting there as explained by Stuart Broad.

Broad: "That's part of the reason why Will Jacks has been brought in to the side to bat eight."

"Now Joe Root can just continue playing...(he) doesn't need to change his tempo."

9:04pm - Inglis becomes the first Englishman to take a wicket

England 6/227 - Root 85, Jacks 9

With his incredible run out, that makes Josh Inglis the first English born player to take a wicket in the Ashes with the WA representative being born in Leeds.

8:48pm - Wicket: Smith gets bowled

England 6/211 - Root 78, Jacks to the crease

One brings two, and Jamie Smith is back in the dugout after making a two-ball duck.

The wicketkeeper has been bowled by a superb Scott Boland delivery.

This sees Will Jacks, who is playing in his first Test in three years, to the crease.

8:41pm - Wicket: Stokes run out

England 5/210 - Root 77, Smith to the crease

Australia gets a much-needed wicket with Ben Stokes departing from a Josh Inglis run out from cover.

Stokes was the man on strike and tried to get down the other end. But he was turned around by Root, and Inglis didn't miss.

And Adam Collins was seriously impressed.

Collins: "He's threatened to do that all day!"

"(Stokes) was sent back by Root and rightly so, slipped halfway down and dear, oh dear Ben Stokes has been run out for 19."

"What a moment in the Test match."

"One stump to aim at, one motion to throw the ball as hard as he could and it crashed into the stumps and up go the zing bails."

"That was cricket god stuff."

8:35pm - Wasim Akram praises Starc for breaking his record

Following Mitchell Starc's passing of Wasim Akram for the most wickets taken by a left-hander in Test Cricket, the Pakistani great has celebrated the feat on X.

8:26pm - Australia loses another review

England 4/206 - Root 73, Stokes 19

Australia's desperation to try and get Joe Root out has now lost their second review for the innings.

With Scott Boland bowling, the Victorian managed to hit the former English captain on the pads, with the call initially being ruled not out.

And following a review, the ball was pitching outside off, with this being the second review they have burned on Root.

With one review remaining, it will likely make Steve Smith far more cautious for the remainder of the innings.

8:15pm - Whateley: England need to be bowled out to justify Australia's four pace attack

England 4/203 - Root 70, Stokes 19

With the final session underway, this should see Australia begin to benefit with the ball becoming harder to play under lights.

And on SEN Cricket, Gerard Whateley and Bharat Sundaresan believe that Australia need to make the most of the night session to justify dropping Nathan Lyon for an all-pace attack.

Sundaresan: "Just before they walked on the field, he (Steve Smith) had all the Aussie players in the customary huddle, and he was very animated in the chat.

"He was pointing at each fast bowler that he is going to use and employ, and I'm not sure what he was saying.

"But this is the session, this is why they picked four fast bowlers with Cameron Green, and this is why they felt they couldn't have Nathan Lyon in the team.

"This is the gamble they have taken, and this is when it has to pay off."

Whateley: "They have to bowl England out tonight to justify the strategy that they have taken."

8:02pm - The third session is underway

England 4/196 - Root 68, Stokes 14

The floodlights are on and Mitchell Starc is getting ready to begin the third and final session.

7:50pm - WATCH: SEN Cricket's reaction to Starc's record breaking wicket

With Steve Smith taking the catch at second slip to dismiss Harry Brook, it saw Mitchell Starc take his 415th Test wicket, which saw him pass Wasim Akram to become the leading left-handed wicket taker in Test Cricket.

And Gerard Whateley, Stuart Broad and Damien Fleming were on deck to call the moment.

7:40pm - Dinner Break

Dinnner Break: England 4/196 - Root 67, Stokes 13

Having just made under 200 runs for the innings, England have maintained their batting pace from the first session as they continue their aggressive approach with only two wickets lost.

Both Zak Crawley and Harry Brook would have been frustrated by the way they both went out, having gone after balls wide of off stumps, which they subsequently edged to the keeper and slips cordon, respectively.

Joe Root has certainly looked the best out of the England batters having made the most of his innings after being dropped on 0 as he continues his charge towards a maiden Test century in Australia.

With Australia having at least another 36 overs with the ball, which keeps getting softer, England will be looking to capitalise on making runs.

But as we have seen before in Day/Night Tests, the ball does the most talking in the third and final session, making it such an intriguing battle to come.

7:11pm - Broad: Poor game awareness from Brook

England 4/180 - Root 63, Stokes 4

Stuart Broad has weighed in on Harry Brook's dismissal, believing that his decision to try and drive at the ball well outside off stump lacked game awareness.

Broad: "It's just poor, it's just soft."

"It's just a loose drive outside off stump which has exposed Stokes to Starc."

"We've been talking about moments with Harry Brook, and he is one of the most wonderful, talented you'll see, but that is not game awareness."

It certainly feels that England is getting out themselves rather than Australia bowling them out.

7:05pm - WICKET - Brook departs

England 4/176 - Root 63, Stokes to the crease

Mitchell Starc has come back into the bowling attack, and in his second ball, he takes another wicket.

This time it's Harry Brook who has gone after a ball wide of off stump and has edged it to Steve Smith at second slip, who takes it above his head.

That sees Starc pass Pakistani great Wasim Akram as the greatest left-handed wicket taker in Test Cricket.

This brings the English captain Ben Stokes to the crease.

6:52pm - Broad: Lyon should have been a no-brainer

England 3/166 - Root 61, Brook 24

Stuart Broad has admitted that he feels like it was a no-brainer to have Nathan Lyon in the starting XI for the Second Test.

After being dropped for the Day/Night Test in the West Indies, Lyon was once again dropped in favour of keeping an all-pace attack.

But the English cricketing legend felt that having a spinner in the team it can help change the rhythm of the game.

Broad: "I'm never a big fan of playing in sides with just a seam attack."

"It felt like you went through periods feeling the same.

"Not necessarily the same tactics, but the same flow to the game, the same energy, the same rhythm.

"It was always nice to have a spinner that could just fire a couple of overs and speed it up for a period of time and try some quirky fields.

"And when you've got someone like the quality of Nathan Lyon, I feel like it's a no-brainer to have someone like Nathan Lyon in your team.

6:44pm - Why Australia needs to break up Root/Brook partnership

Drinks Break: England 3/166 - Root 61, Brook 24

With England's two best batters at the crease, this partnership (which is sitting at 44 runs) could prove to be a game-winning one if they can keep going at the pace that they are.

This would be noted by SEN Cricket's Adam Collins and Simon Katich on the commentary call.

Collins: "Right now, they need to find a way to break up this pair because we know that they can score so quickly."

Katich: "This little partnership could swing the game."

"But Australia, conversially, like they did in Perth, they removed these two in a couple of overs...10 minutes, and it's game on again."

6:29pm - Root brings up 50

England 3/153 - Root 50, Brook 22

That is the former captain's 10th 50 that he has made against Australia in an away Ashes series.

The Gabba was the same venue where Root managed his best innings to date against Australia in Australia with a knock of 89 in the 21/22 series.

Will he be able to get past that this time around and make that elusive century?

6:24pm - Katich: Crawley could have more impact

England 3/148 - Root 48, Brook 19

On SEN Cricket, Simon Katich noted that the opener would have been disappointed by not going beyond 76.

Katich: "The fact that they have been able to get Zak Crawley out with a swivel pull, he'll be disappointed with that dismissal.

"There was a lack of footwork and he just though he could pick Neser off a length and gets a bottom edge."

"Good knock, but he hasn't impacted the game as much as could have."

6:16pm - Almost chance for Australia

England 3/143 - Brook 18, Root 44

With Alex Carey brought up right to the stumps for Michael Neser, it almost resulted in a stumping which would have seen Harry Brook depart for 15.

Trying to play a scoop shot, England's No. 5 was out of his crease but just sneaked back by the time Carey whipped off the bails.

6:06pm - Whateley: The Crawley dismissal is what is wrong with BazBall

England 2/127 - Root 41, Brook 5

With Crawley departing for 76, both Gerard Whateley and Damien Fleming have lamented the missed opportunity by the opener to go big.

Fleming: "It's a little bit like the dismissals in the second innings in Perth."

"It's virtually a half tracker outside the off stump that could be left, you could actually punch it off the back foot into the off side for runs."

"The highest risk shot is to try and pull that ball because it wasn't short enough, and the line was no good.

Whateley: "This is the problem with what they do.

"Three dot balls illicit we have to score (on the next ball), which is total crap."

__6:01pm - Neser claims the important of Crawley

England 3/122 - Root 41, Brook to the crease

Michael Neser has gotten the wicket of the danger man in Zak Crawley.

Trying to play yet another attacking shot outside his off stump, Crawley has edged it, with Alex Carey taking the catch with ease.

Whilst he managed to make 76 which is a lot better than his pair in Perth, he really should have gone on and made a century.

Harry Brook comes to the crease to replace the opener.

5:50pm - Net session mishap sees Lyon's session end early

England 2/122 - Crawley 76, Root 41

After being dropped for the Second Test, it appears that Nathan Lyon's day has not gotten much better, having had his training session ended early, as per SEN Cricket's Tom Morris.

Morris: "I was having a walk around and had a look at Pat Cummins bowl out the back at the Gabba. He looked good."

"Usman Khawaja was batting, Beau Webster was batting, and at one point, Beau Webster was facing Nathan Lyon, and he hit the ball back at him and hit him flush on the ankle, and that was the end of the session for Nathan Lyon.

"He limped away, clearly in pain."

5:46pm - Root and Crawley bring up a 100-run partnership

England 2/107 - Crawley 69, Root 33

An important milestone for England with Joe Root and Zak Crawley combining for a 100-run partnership.

5:41pm - Both teams are on the field

England 2/98 - Root 32, Crawley 61

Brendan Doggett has the ball in his hand and will be bowling to Joe Root.

5:32pm - Can England capitalise on this surface?

After a shaky start thanks to some Mitchell Starc excellence, England, through Joe Root and Zak Crawley, have settled into a nice scoring rhythm as they are just seven runs away from a 100-run partnership.

And Simon Katich is of the belief that with the pitch looking more and more favourable for batting, England, through Root and Crawley, need to make the most of it.

Katich: "The Australians bowled pretty well, but I think given the way the wicket is playing, it looks like a good surface to bat on.

"Once they got through that first 10 overs, it settled down, and it's coming on the bat nicely, and you can score shots all around the wicket."

"We know that this is a good surface, and if you can get in on these surfaces, you've got to go big and that's what these two will aim to do."

TEA - England 2/98

5:01pm - England get to the long break 2-down

England 2/98 - Crawley 61, Root 32

A really good session for England given where they were at in just the third over of the game.

Both Root and Crawley look at ease on this wicket which appears great for batting. The pink ball has also stopped doing just about anything.

The English have been in this position before though this series, now it's about capitalising on a solid start and building for another session.

The players will now take a 40-minute break before returning for the second session.

"England's session beside that bowling first at the start from Mitchell Starc," Damien Fleming.

"I thought BazBall would bowl first, but they've got this pitch right... it's coming onto the bat well."

4:47 - Zak Crawley raises the bat

England 2/86 - Crawley 50, Root 31

The England opener has reached 50, and it's come at a crucial time after a slow start for his side.

It'll be a huge sigh of relief for Crawley who started the summer with a pair of ducks.

He's looking good now, can he cash in with a big score?

For Adam Collins, it's come at the perfect time in what he considers "the biggest Test of his career".

"This has been a very assertive 50, he's played some delightful shots." - Damien Fleming.

4:35 - England partnership building ahead of best time to bat

England are building a great partnership, with Crawley and Root putting on 71 together so far.

It's good news too for the visitors, with the evening session statistically the best time to bat, as revealed by SEN Cricket's Tom Morris.

If these two get to the break, England could set themselves up for a really big first innings total.

Katich was strong on the English early, can they respond?

4:00pm - England stablising at first-hour drinks

England 2/58 - Crawley 37, Root 17

England are working their way back into the contest, with Zak Crawley and Joe Root seeing out the last 10 overs together.

The Poms are now 2/58, and the pink ball is already swinging less than it was earlier in the day.

Stuart Broad hailed Crawley in particular, stating that the opener is going, 'Better than ok', given he was coming into this Test on the back of a pair in Perth.

3:40pm - Broad has his say on England's poor start

England 2/30 - Crawley 24, Root 6

Stuart Broad has had his say on England's two early dismissals.

He doesn't blame Ben Duckett for nicking off, but described Pope's as an awful shot after he chopped on.

"Duckett got a brilliant ball, he was bowled out. But Pope, that was an awful shot, he got himself out, that’s how I look at that," Broad told SEN Cricket.

"I think that sort of half cross bat shot when you're in Perth and Brisbane, it just doesn't work. That is not the play.

"It either has to be a cut, or a leave. I think Pope will be really disappointed with that, but it's the third ball, you're still getting used to the emotion of what's happening, you're still trying to settle slightly.

"The crowd here really roars when the bowler's running in. I experienced it in 2010 when Peter Siddle ran in on a hat-trick… I remember when Siddle started running in, my brain went, ‘Wow, that’s loud’.

"If you switch off from your process for a second you can make a mistake, and I just wonder whether Duckett and Pope were thinking about something different… the Gabba can bring you off your game slightly."

3:30pm - Insane Starc stat after another hot start

England 2-22 - Crawley 16, Root 6

3:20pm - Was that a missed opportunity?

Michael Neser just had Zak Crawley playing and missing outside off... but did he miss?

While the umpire gave it not out and the Aussies didn't review, Gerard Whateley thinks the Englishman would have been given out if the decision was sent upstairs.

A small spike appeared on snicko on the frame after the ball passed the bat, which is considered out.

3:12pm - Starc on fire!

England 2/5 - Crawley 5, Root to the crease

Pope goes too! Starc gets the England No. 3 chopping on and the Poms are 2/5 at the Gabba!

Joe Root is to the crease, and Simon Katich thinks the superstar would be pulling his hair out.

"Joe Root would be pulling his hair out batting at No. 4 in this team," Katich said on SEN Cricket.

"He's in so early again with all to do."

Damien Fleming cannot understand why England are continuing to play this way.

"They won't let the ball go! I can't understand it.

"They just have to tough it out for an hour and the swing may stop. I can't believe this."

3:05pm - HE DOES IT AGAIN!

England 1/5 - Crawley 5, Pope to the crease

Starc gets Ben Duckett for a golden duck on the last ball of his first over!

It's the third time he's struck in his first six balls in three attempts this series.

Crawley got off strike with five from the first five balls, but Duckett couldn't last more than one as he's out caught at second slip.

The opener fended at a full ball and Gerard Whateley described his shot as one in 'no man's land!'.

3:00pm - Starc has the new ball in hand

Mitchell Starc has the new ball in hand. Zak Crawley is facing.

Will the left-armer strike in his first over for the third time in three attempts this summer?

2:35pm - Aussies without Uzzie, Cummins, Hazlewood & Lyon

2:30pm - Aussies confirm shock selection call!

The XIs are in and the Aussies have swung a shock call with Michael Neser in and Nathan Lyon out!

Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat. The Aussies will be bowling first.

Check out the full teams below.

13:58pm - Australia set to make “monstrous” selection call

SEN Cricket’s Tom Morris is reporting that Nathan Lyon has made way for Michael Neser.

“It appears Australia has made a monstrous selection call - Michael Neser in for his third Test match, Nathan Lyon out,” Morris said on SEN Cricket’s The New Ball.

“For the first time Lyon will miss a Test on home soil since 2010/11.

“So the batting order will be Inglis/Green, Carey at 7, Neser, Starc, Boland and Doggett.”

Bharat Sundaresan added: “I’m excited as the president of the #NeserMustPlay campaign which has run for six and a half years.”

13:40pm - Real sign Cummins won't play

Australia were giving captain Pat Cummins up to the final minute to prove his fitness, but now it appears he won't play in Brisbane.

The Age's Dan Brettig says that Cummins arrived at the ground in a polo shirt alongside Beau Webster, who is also likely miss out on selection.

While the Aussies won't name their side until the toss, this could mean the pace bowler will sit out again.

12:00pm – Vaughan’s Gabba prediction

Former England captain Michael Vaughan is tipping the second Test in Brisbane to last much longer than the two days that were played out in Perth.

While the pink ball can bring about quick results, Vaughan is expecting a more even bat between bat and ball, with his tip a Day 4 finish.

“I think 5 days is a tall ask,” Vaughan told SEN Sportsday.

“The only way it gets to a 5th Day is the over rate, and generally England's over rate is very slow, so there's a chance of that.

"But I think the even-money bet is probably 4th afternoon finish. I think it will be a longer game this week.

“I can't imagine what Cricket Australia would do if it was another 2-day game with the amount of money they must have lost in Perth.

“No one wants to see another two-day game, so my guess would be around the 4th afternoon.”

10:15 - Hayden's advice for batting at the Gabba

Aussie cricket great Matthew Hayden is unsure about the Gabba pitch ahead of today’s second Test in Brisbane.

While the Gabba pitch looks relatively green on the morning of Day 1, Hayden thinks it’s less of a green monster than we’ve seen in recent years.

Even though this pitch could offer a more even battle between bat and ball, Hayden hopes that the groundsmen leave the surface as green as possible.

“If we just talk about the conditions, there’s not a lot of grass on it,” Hayden told SENQ Breakfast.

“It’s certainly not as grassy as what we've seen it in the past. Someone said there’s 3ml of grass, but that doesn’t make a lot of sense either.

“There always seems to be a lot of speculative advice that comes out which provides us all great trauma, because I hope they do leave a bit of grass on it.

“I think that's our best chance as well to really keep the chills in the veins of the English.

“We'll be able to just cope with those conditions, or have to cope with those conditions.”

Hayden, who has played more cricket at the Gabba than most as a Queenslander, spoke about how both teams must approach batting in Brisbane if they don’t want to fall cheaply.

“There was way too many half vertical bat shots that we saw from England and Australia as well in Perth,” Hayden said.

“That's all technical fodder when it comes to the Gabba. The moment that I started to think about playing square of the wicket, I may as well of ripped my pads off, because you just get out.

“You have to follow rules at the Gabba, otherwise you tumble off the cliff.

“There’s lots to think about around preparation for this game. They’re going to have to occupy the crease, get through the new ball, and get through the twilight periods.

“They're the danger areas.”

9am UK view: "2-0 down is the point of no return in Australia"

Even the best of the cricket writers from England can't manipulate the stats from the Gabba to shine a positive light on their team

Nick Hoult of the UK Telegraph writes: "It is all on the line for this England side, and the odds stacked against them are higher than the towering floodlights at the Gabba.

"The Gabba is a place where English ambition usually goes to die on Ashes tours; its very name is evocatively Australian and the vociferous crowd can feel on top of the players with the stands tight to the playing area.

"Of all the current Test grounds where England have played 10 or more times, their loss percentage of 59 at the Gabba is greater than anywhere else."

The numbers:

• England have lost 13 of 22 Ashes Tests played at Brisbane
• England have lost seven of the last nine at the Gabba
• Australia have won 13 out of 14 floodlit Tests overall
• Australia have lost only once (West Indies)