The China Mail - Australia on brink of victory at Gabba for 2-0 Ashes lead

At the dinner break Australia were 33-0, chasing a winning total of 65. Travis Head was on 19 with fellow opener Jake Weatherald on 10.

Australia will take a 2-0 lead in the five-Test series and are now overwhelming favourites to retain the Ashes with matches in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney to follow.

England were behind the game once they let Australia's tail help the home side post 511 on Saturday, an overall lead of 177.

They then lost six second-innings wickets under lights to end the third day 134-6, still 43 runs behind the Australian total.

While many expected England to surrender meekly on Sunday, skipper Stokes and all-rounder Will Jacks led a fighting rearguard action to ensure Australia had to bat a second time.

Stokes and Jacks defied the Australian pace attack on a fiercely hot day to edge their way past the initial deficit target and begin to set Australia something to chase.

England batting coach Marcus Trescothick said Saturday his batsmen would not change their aggressive approach, despite a clatter of wickets from poor shots.

But Stokes and Jacks did the exact opposite during the first session Sunday.

They left balls they didn't need to play and seemed happy to take their runs in singles rather than expansive boundary shots.

They scored just 28 runs in the first hour and passed the 43-run deficit 96 minutes into the session, scoring only 59 runs in the two hours.

The Australian bowlers, who ran rampant under lights on Saturday with the pink ball, were far more ineffective on Sunday, despite the wicket beginning to play some tricks.

The English offered only one chance when Scott Boland squared up Stokes, who got a thick edge over the slips cordon.

They continued to frustrate the Australians in the second session until just before the drinks break, Jacks got an edge to Michael Neser and Steve Smith snared a breath-taking catch at slip, diving full length to his left and catching it low to the ground.

Neser struck again in the next over when Stokes nibbled at a ball outside the off-stump and got a fine edge to keeper Alex Carey to leave England 227-8, a lead of exactly 50.

Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer offered no real resistance as Neser recorded career-best figures of 5-42 and Smith equalled Rahul Dravid on 210 outfield catches, three behind current record-holder Joe Root.

T.Luo--ThChM