Even after Australia scored 566-8 declared in the first innings, batting for more than five sessions, England had done little wrong. The pitch that they had ordered for the game, which strayed away from the traditional sporting one usually on display at the home of cricket, had given their bowlers next to nothing for nearly two days.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

But England had bowled well, especially Stuart Broad (4-83), who is now only five shy of joining the 300-wicket club in Tests. The 29-year-old knew that he couldn't expect anything from the surface, so he didn't try to go for pace but focussed on getting his line and length right.

Broad relentlessly bowled a good-length and a probing line in the corridor of uncertainty outside the right-hander's off-stump, while aiming straighter to the lefties. The Australian pace bowlers, having nothing to do for almost five sessions, would have watched him bowl and learned enough about this surface. 

In fact, so observant were they that they took four wickets in one session to give their team the best chance to get back in this series. 

All of England's perseverance for nearly 150 overs was washed away in just 63 balls in the post-tea session on Day 2, as England crumbled to 30-4, with Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood sharing the spoils. The trio did nothing different from the Englishmen, just keeping to their plans for each individual batsman and used the new ball to their advantage.Adam Lyth (0), Gary Ballance (23), Ian Bell (1) and Joe Root (1) played into the hands of the Australians like a moth to light. To see how they should have batted, they only needed to watch Steve Smith, who managed to stick it out at the same crease for over eight hours. 

The Australian vice-captain, carrying on from an overnight 128*, scored his first ever Test double century as he led Australia to a virtually unbeatable total. More importantly, his innings could have far-reaching implications in the context of this series.

After falling for 33 twice in Cardiff, Smith had lost his world No 1 ranking to AB De Villiers after the first Test. He clearly didn't like it. England seemed to have his number in the first Test, playing on his tendency to go for the spinners and poke outside off-stump to the quicker bowlers. They tried more of the same at Lord's, constantly bowling the sixth-stump line, but Smith had clearly done his homework.

When on song, Smith's superlative technique and temperament can single-handedly win his team games. That's exactly what happened at Lord's over two days as the 26-year-old refused to take any bait outside off-stump, but for lollies that could be spanked to the fence. This was especially evident in the morning session on Day 2, when Smith scored only 39 runs, watchfully manoeuvring Broad and Anderson. Even as Broad chipped away at the wickets at the other end, Smith was alert and prudent, attacking only when he got the chance and using his feet exceptionally.  

It was thus ironic that Smith's 511-minute stay at the crease was brought to an end with a failed attempt at a reverse sweep, more so off the bowling of part-timer Joe Root. In the battle of the two young vice-captains in this series, Smith has pulled himself level with Root with this knock after the Englishman's match-winning heroics in Cardiff. Smith's record in his last eight first innings of Tests proves his position as Australia's match-definer, if you may: 162*, 133, 192, 117, 25, 199, 33 and 215. 

When Australia declared just after tea, England would have thought they had done well on the day to take seven Australian wickets in just over two sessions, compared to the one they managed all day yesterday. However, in the overall scheme of things a draw would be the most positive result they could expect from this match. Given how their top-order fared on Friday evening, even that is an optimistic result.

Until they walked out to bat, Alastair Cook's men hadn't really done anything wrong since the captain lost the toss. They were good in the field and their bowlers had bowled well on a lifeless pitch. It was thus a shame when they found themselves at 30-4, especially given how they had batted in Cardiff.

Cook (21*) and Ben Stokes (38*) did well to stem the flow of wickets in the last hour before stumps, but England still have a mountain or two to climb before they can think of saving this Test.