Usman Khawaja stretches Australia's advantage before rain ends play early

Australia 416 and 130 for 2 (Khawaja 58*) lead England 325 (Duckett 98, Brook 50, Starc 3-88, Head 2-17, Hazlewood 2-71) by 221 runs

A day which began with the second Test evenly balanced ended with Australia holding a firm grip on this contest, and perhaps with it the Ashes. England folded during the morning session to a myriad of wild shots, conceding a lead of 91, before Usman Khawaja led a determined effort from the visitors' top order under grey skies which made batting tricky.

By the close, which came 27 overs early due to drizzle, Australia's lead stood at 221 and even for a team that began this Bazball era with a series of big run chases, it shaped as a daunting prospect to avoid going 2-0 down.

England had resumed on 278 for 4 after yesterday's dramatic final session which saw three wickets surrendered to hook shots and Nathan Lyon limp out of the match and most probably the series with a calf strain termed "significant". But they completely missed the chance to stretch Australia's bowling resources, losing their last six wickets for 47, and from 188 for 1 their last nine for 137. Harry Brook's carve into the off side summed up a batting approach that has surely lurched too far, even for this team.

They needed early inroads in response, but for the second time in the match Khawaja and David Warner battled through favourable bowling conditions, this time for an opening stand of 63. It was the first time Australia had put together two half-century first-wicket partnerships since 2018, when Khawaja was also part of them alongside Aaron Finch in Dubai.

The day had started poorly for England and never got better. The frenetic tempo of the previous evening had been slowed somewhat by Ben Stokes but the captain fell to the second ball of the day when he was squared up by Mitchell Starc and got an outside edge to Cameron Green at gully who held another sharp chance.

Brook, who had been dropped on 25, brought up an unconvincing half-century from 63 balls before becoming the latest England batter to fall to the short ball, backing away to the leg side and slicing into the covers. It is the type of stroke that has brought him thrilling runs, but given the state of the game it was another wicket donated especially as it meant Australia were into England's lengthy tail.

Starc, who won the final selection call ahead of Scott Boland having missed out at Edgbaston, was impressive with a spell of 5-0-13-2. Having claimed Joe Root the day before, he showed his wicket-taking value.

Jonny Bairstow played within himself before bunting Josh Hazlewood to mid-on and there wasn't much on offer from the bowlers. Ollie Robinson edged a charge against Travis Head, who will need to shoulder the spin bowling in Lyon's absence, and Stuart Broad was lbw sweeping.

Warner and Khawaja were tested by the new ball with the bat beaten on numerous occasions, especially Warner's. England did not bowl poorly and could easily have made early inroads, but such is the way a game often goes when a side has not taken previous opportunities that have been presented.

They reviewed for an lbw against Warner when he had 5 but replays showed a thin inside edge against James Anderson. On 19, Khawaja was given a life when he pulled to Anderson at midwicket but the chance burst through the hands. Again, dropped chances hurt England.

For the second time in the game it was Josh Tongue who made the breakthrough when he trapped Warner lbw from round the wicket to continue his encouraging return to the side. He thought he had claimed Marnus Labuschagne, too, on 3 but the DRS showed he had been struck outside the line to add to umpire Ahsan Raza's list of overturned decisions.

Either side of tea there was another flurry of shouts involving Labuschagne, all of which Broad thought were out as he completed full-length celebrappeals. Stokes made the correct call not to review either of them off the last two balls of the afternoon session - for caught behind and then lbw - but he erred after the break when Labuschagne would have been lbw on 16 to a Broad inswinger. England coach Brendon McCullum relayed the bad news from the balcony and Broad did not hide his frustrations.

Labuschagne, who has been skittish throughout the first part of this series, never settled and carved a short, wide delivery from James Anderson to backward point although Anderson could not conjure much of a celebration.

By then Khawaja had moved to fifty with a delightful off drive and had visions of ticking off another career highlight with a place on the honours board. As he moved beyond 700 deliveries faced for the series in just four innings it was difficult to escape the feeling that you were watching one of the decisive differences between the teams.