Il Nuovo Postiglione - Cummins leads from front as Australia tighten grip on third Ashes Test

England were 142-7 at lunch on the second day, still 121 runs behind Australia's first-innings 263.

In a match they had to win at 2-0 down with three to play, England lost four wickets for 74 runs in the session after resuming on 68-3, with fast bowler Cummins taking 4-59 in 13 overs.

But England captain Ben Stokes, fresh from his stunning 155 in Australia's 43-run win in the second Test at Lord's last week, was still there on 27 not out.

England fans were left hoping the all-rounder could reproduce his Headingley Ashes heroics of 2019, when Stokes's astounding unbeaten hundred guided England to a remarkable one-wicket win.

The hosts started the day with Joe Root 19 not out and Jonny Bairstow, whose controversial stumping exit at Lord's provoked a furious row that drew comments from both the British and Australian prime ministers, unbeaten on one.

The pair received a rousing reception as they walked out to bat on a sunny morning at their Yorkshire home ground.

But Root fell for his overnight score with just the second ball of the day, when the star batsman tentatively edged Cummins to David Warner at first slip.

Bairstow then exited for 12 when he flat-footedly drove at a ball angled across him from left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc, with Steve Smith holding a sharp catch in front of his face at second slip.

The latest example of Australia's superior fielding left England in dire straits at 87-5.

Stokes had made just 10 when given not out to paceman Scott Boland following an appeal for lbw that remained rejected despite a tight Australia review.

Moeen Ali, having got away with one miscued hook, then attempted a similar shot off Cummins and holed out for 21 as England slumped to 131-6.

And off what became the last ball before lunch, Chris Woakes also fell to the short-ball trap when caught behind for 10 trying to pull Starc.

World Test champions Australia, bidding for their first Ashes series win in England in 22 years, had been indebted Thursday to Mitchell Marsh.

The all-rounder marked his first Test since 2019 with a run-a-ball 118 in an innings where the next highest score was Travis Head's 39.

Marsh, however, was dropped on 12 when Root floored a regulation slip catch.

Mark Wood took an impressive 5-34 in his first match of the series, with the fast bowler managing an average speed of over 90 mph.

T.Barbieri--INP