Australia chip their way towards victory

Dec 08, 2013

Australia declared before the start of play leaving England two days to bat for a draw but they got off to the worst possible start when Alastair Cook hooked and was caught at long leg in just the second over of the day•PA Photos

England managed to find calm through Joe Root, who got his head down...•Getty Images

Disaster then struck for England as Mitchell Johnson tumbled at mid-on to claim the fourth wicket...•Getty Images

Root stood firm in a 113-ball half-century that proved what could be achieved with application on a very good batting surface •Getty Images

Words were flying around and the England allrounder and Johnson had to be separated by the umpire•AFP

The discussions continued as the players left the field•Getty Images

Michael Carberry soon followed suit, albeit a touch unfortuantely following a pull off the face of the bat•PA Photos

...and with Kevin Pietersen also playing maturely, the pair added a century stand for the third wicket and finally found some stability•PA Photos

...and it was the in-form Ian Bell who had tossed his wicket away by slapping a full toss from Steven Smith to Johnson•Getty Images

But Root fell 13 short of a century when he got a thin inside edge of Nathan Lyon and Brad Haddin took a diving catch•Getty Images

But after 90 balls of resistance, Stokes fell to Ryan Harris with the second new ball as Australia moved closer to victory•Getty Images

Pietersen eventually fell, chopping onto his off bail; the ninth time he has been dismissed by Peter Siddle in Tests•Getty Images

Smith and Australia could hardly believe their luck with such a cheap dismissal of England's best player•AFP

Ben Stokes survived an initial burst to spend some time in the middle•PA Photos

Matt Prior finally spent some time in the middle, adding 37 runs with Stuart Broad before the close•Getty Images