It took two days into the second Test, but England finally caught a break.
With two early wickets and the likes of Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc and Michael Neser getting the ball to move in ways we hadn’t seen during the Australian innings, the visitors were up against the wall before lightning stopped play.
As Australia piled on the runs, the only question was when they’d declare, given the conditions looked optimal for fast bowling late in the day.
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It didn’t take them long to make the best of the time they had, Starc getting Rory Burns once again before Neser dismissed Haseeb Hameed with just his second delivery in Test cricket.
Neser was mobbed by teammates, including reserve players Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Swepson, who’ve seen first-hand what he can do in first class cricket for Queensland.
Joe Root came to the crease and his second delivery dropped just in front of the slips cordon. England looked well and truly on the ropes before the umpires took them from the field as lightning approached Adelaide Oval.
The visitors will resume on day three 2-17, more than 450 runs behind the hosts.
Marnus Labuschagne earned a third lifeline when he was dismissed from a no ball, before finally departing on 103.
Captain Steve Smith looked certain to join him in triple digits when disaster struck and he, too, was trapped in front — giving James Anderson his first wicket of the series.
As England battled away in the second and third sessions, chatter from fans and commentators became fixated on a potential declaration as soon as Alex Carey departed for a well-made 51.
But as Neser and Starc swashbuckled Australia past 400, all England could do was look to the skies and hope that the threat of storms became a reality.
The debutant played some glorious strokes — including a six between cover and point — before Stuart Broad took a nice catch in the outfield.
Richardson took over and nothing changed, smashing a three that went a mile in the air on his first delivery faced, and a gigantic six from his second.
The third ball he faced was a healthy nick, held by Jos Buttler, prompting Smith to finally call them in at 9-473 — but two painstaking days in the field only gave way to a different type of punishment.
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