If you thought you knew who was on top, think again

You reckon you know who is on top at any particular stage of this series? Sorry, think again. Yes, the overall scoreline reads 2-0 to Australia, and they are worthy of that, but the margins have been so tight.

There have been many days of the 12 played out so far that encapsulate that, but none more so than the second at Headingley. At lunch it felt as though Australia, led by Pat Cummins' bowling, had put together the session that would clinch the Ashes. By tea they had let it slip, conceding 95 in 10 overs to another Ben Stokes onslaught and losing David Warner. Midway through the final session their lead was approaching 100 with nine wickets in hand. Fifteen balls later Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith were dismissed by Moeen Ali.

"I'm sure the fans are loving it but I wouldn't mind a stress-free day or two," Cummins told Test Match Special. "It's all set up for another wonderful match."

The ledger was even when play resumed, but Cummins' early removal of Joe Root tilted things considerably towards Australia. It was the 10th time Root had fallen to the Australia captain, and there were a number of fantastic deliveries among them. This time it was reasonably conventional, a back-of-a-length ball outside off which Root fenced to first slip.

Jonny Bairstow wafted at Mitchell Starc and Cummins lured Moeen into hooking to deep square leg, the ball after he almost fell in the same manner. When Chris Woakes perished to Starc's short ball, England lunched on 142 for 7, still 121 behind. The session run rate had been 3.19 - their slowest in a session where they have faced more than 20 in this series. Had Bazball finally been broken?

But then, totally in keeping with this ridiculous series, Mark Wood launched the first ball of the afternoon over deep midwicket. He only lasted seven more balls but departed with 24 to his name. Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson hung around long enough to allow Stokes to produce some more Headingley magic as he battled further injuries and, at times, could barely move. There were some questionable Australia tactics - an insistence to use the short ball and asking Todd Murphy to operate to Stokes against an inviting boundary, although he did claim the final wicket.

In the blink of an eye, a lead that could have been around 80-100 was whittled down to 26. Cummins had the strange looking figures of 18-1-91-6. It was comfortably his highest economy rate where he's bowled more than eight overs in an innings, but also the fourth six-wicket haul, and best Ashes figures, of his career.

"Think when Ben Stokes is there you are never in total control," Australia coach Andrew McDonald admitted. "We feel on the back of the toss… as though we are in a pretty strong position. Could it have been better? No doubt it could have been, and full credit to Ben once again. His ability to work his way when batting with the tail is probably second to none over a period of time."

Then Warner fell to Broad for the 17th time, edging to Zak Crawley at second slip for the second time in the game. Warner has probably done enough to get the retirement he has spoken about in Sydney next January, but he hasn't been able to shake off his nemesis.

But wait, what was this? A period of calm as Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja added 57 in 23 overs for the second wicket. England were a bowler down, although Robinson was on the field after his back spasms, and Australia were in no mood to rush, as has been their plan all series.

Would they be able to grind England down on a warm afternoon? Nope. And just to add to the drama, it was a player whose Test career was over three weeks ago who made the vital breakthroughs. But, hold on, there was a bit before that. Labuschagne was dropped down the leg side by Bairstow when he pulled at Wood. It has been a torrid series behind the stumps for Bairstow.

However, the next ball Labuschagne faced, he slog-swept Moeen to deep midwicket. Labuschagne is notorious for being slow to the leave the crease and this time he almost needed to be carried off as he tried to comprehend what he had done. He has rarely looked at his best in this series - having begun by nicking Broad's 'new' outswinger, he has looked unsettled and jittery - and it's now two half-centuries in his last 21 Test innings. It also showed the value of raw pace at the other end as Wood ripped in but also conceded very few runs.

Moeen wasn't done there. In his next over, he enticed Smith to flick to short midwicket to earn his 200th Test wicket, one of the softer dismissals in Smith's 100 Tests. Moeen later admitted he felt he had been gifted a pair of wickets. His Test career was meant to be done, but now he had two of the world's finest to his name. There was some feistiness to follow the wicket as Bairstow offered a few words at Smith, appearing to say "see ya, Smudge". It was tense out there.

"I didn't notice that he snapped back around," McDonald said. "In terms of the shot, it's been a high pressurised series and there's been errors on both batting departments. That's going to happen, the games have ebbed and flowed and it's stayed in the balance. Whenever it's high pressure there's always going to be errors."

Khawaja, as so often, offered a model of calm in a series where he is playing a leading role. But he couldn't see out the day, edging the deserving Woakes to Bairstow. Australia were guided through to stumps by Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh, the pair who rescued them yesterday. Yes, this game has only been going two days.

They closed with a lead of 142 and six wickets in hand. Who were the favourites? We'll get back to you.