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England miss five chances as Australia surge ahead
England's fielding errors on the second day of the day-night Ashes Test in Brisbane left them facing an uphill battle to salvage the match and series. Australia closed at 378-6, leading by 44 runs, after England dropped five catches, four of them under floodlights.
Root defends preparation amid criticism
England captain Joe Root insisted the team had prepared thoroughly for the pink-ball Test, including two floodlit training sessions in Brisbane. "We worked as hard as we could," Root said. "Sometimes the catches just don't stick. You've got to keep applying yourself and wanting the ball."
However, former England captain Michael Vaughan argued that no amount of drills could replicate match conditions. "What I saw today was a team that looked jaded," Vaughan told the Test Match Special podcast. "The art of taking chances is concentration. The only way you get good at that is by training the brain to do it."
"It's never going to be perfect. All you can do is give yourself the best possible chance."
Joe Root, England batter
Costly drops shift momentum
The missed opportunities began early, with wicketkeeper Jamie Smith failing to hold a rising edge from Travis Head off Jofra Archer. Head, then on three, went on to score 33, sparking an Australian surge of 112 runs in 14 overs.
Under floodlights, Ben Duckett dropped Alex Carey on his first ball, with Carey unbeaten on 46 at stumps. Duckett also spilled a chance from Josh Inglis, though Inglis was dismissed shortly after. Brydon Carse and Root later added to England's woes with misses off Michael Neser and Carey, respectively.
Vaughan singled out Smith's inaction on Carey's edge as particularly concerning. "When you see a keeper not going for it, I get concerned by that," he said.
Rare bright spot amid fielding woes
England's sole highlight came when Will Jacks took a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Steve Smith. Vaughan called it "as good a catch as I've ever seen."
Despite the standout moment, England's overall performance under lights remained poor. Data from Cricviz showed their catching efficiency in the evening session of day-night Tests stands at 58%, compared to 80% for other teams. Their five misses in Brisbane matched their worst performance in Australia since 2021, when they dropped six in Adelaide.
Vaughan questions England's focus
Vaughan criticized England's lack of emphasis on fielding, a skill Australia prioritizes. "How often have an England team come to Australia and dropped catches?" he asked. "Two or three of them were goobers (simple chances) that have to be taken."
England's struggles at the Gabba continued a long winless streak at the venue, where they last triumphed in 1986. With Australia now in control, England face a daunting task to avoid another early series setback.
