Ashes 2023: England bounce back on day two at Lord’s as Australia lose Nathan Lyon to injury

Australia began the second day in a commanding position at 339-5, and Alex Carey and Steve Smith started positively with the bat.

England changed the ball and it did the trick, as the pace attack began to find some movement.

Carey (22) was trapped lbw by Stuart Broad, and James Anderson had Mitchell Starc (6) caught behind by Jonny Bairstow.

Smith continued serenely and brought up the 32nd century of his Test career, but he fell for 110 to a sharp catch in the gully by Ben Duckett off Josh Tongue.

Australia capitulated rather meekly, as England dismissed them just before lunch for 416.

Conditions looked good for batting on the second afternoon, and Zak Crawley and Duckett put on 91 for the first wicket.

With the Australian pace attack getting little joy, they turned to the spin of Lyon and he had Crawley (48) expertly stumped down the leg side by Carey.

Ollie Pope, who sat out much of Australia’s first innings due to a shoulder problem, joined Duckett and rode his luck early on.

There was a huge moment in the evening session, as Lyon pulled up when coming in from the boundary to field a ball. He immediately felt his right calf, called the physio and was helped off the field – and appeared to be in tears as he walked to the changing rooms.

Lyon is key to Australia’s attack as his control allows captain Pat Cummins to rotate his quicks, and his absence would leave a significant void.

With Lyon off the field, Cummins asked his pacers to mix up their lengths and it paid dividends with the wickets of Pope (42) and Duckett (98).

It could have been worse for England as prized scalp Joe Root was caught behind for two, only for Australia’s celebrations to be cut short as Cameron Green had overstepped and called for a no-ball.

The no-ball was the fifth time Green had overstepped in his five-over spell, and the look on the face of coach Andrew McDonald on the Australia balcony could have turned milk.

The short-ball barrage continued, despite the toll it was taking on the bowlers, and Starc was rewarded with the wicket of Root. The England man appeared to get in a good position but was beaten for pace as he scooped the ball to Smith at short backward square leg.

Root made only 10, but they were enough to take him into the top 10 in leading Test run-scorers with 11,178.

Ben Stokes joined Harry Brook at the crease with England wobbling at 222-4, and the skipper and his young team-mate took them to stumps at 278-4, trailing by 138 runs and with the match finely poised.