Advertisement

Ashes 2021: Steve Smith falls short of 28th Test ton but Marnus Labuschagne completes his sixth on Day 2

Marnus Labuschagne rode his luck to complete his sixth Test century before falling leg-before to Ollie Robinson for 103 off 305 balls with 8 boundaries. 

Ashes 2021: Steve Smith falls short of 28th Test ton but Marnus Labuschagne completes his sixth on Day 2 Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith (right) en route to scoring 93 on Day 2 of the 2nd Ashes Test. (Source: Twitter)

Stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith fell seven runs short off a 28th Test century but teammate complete his sixth ton as hosts reached 390/7 after the second session’s play on Day 2 of the Pink-ball Ashes Test in Adelaide on Friday (December 17). Smith fell leg-before to James Anderson for 93 (201b, 12x4, 1x6), who added another one before the tea break by sending back Alex Carey for 51 (107b, 7x4) after his maiden Test fifty.

Earlier, Marnus Labuschagne rode his luck to complete his sixth Test century before falling leg-before to Ollie Robinson for 103 off 305 balls with 8 boundaries. Meanwhile, Australia’s regular test skipper Pat Cummins has been allowed to return home in Sydney, the team said on Friday, after missing the ongoing second Ashes test in Adelaide for being a close contact of a COVID-19 case.

Cummins was ruled out hours before the start of the pink-ball test against England after dining in the same restaurant as the positive case on Wednesday night. The 28-year old produced a negative test result on Thursday and has been cleared by South Australia`s SA Health to return home by a chartered flight, Cricket Australia said.

“Under the plan approved by SA Health, he will self-drive from isolation and then, with the appropriate PPE and hygiene controls, take a single charter flight,” the CA said.

“Cricket Australia will continue to consult with SA Health to ensure compliance with the plan. He will continue to observe all isolation requirements in NSW.”

Steve Smith stepped up as Australia’s stand-in captain in Adelaide but the hosts, who are 1-0 up in the five-match series, will hope to welcome Cummins back in squad for the Boxing Day test in Melbourne.

(with Reuters inputs)