Australia struggling in their bid to keep Test series alive

A grim forecast for today – following another dash of controversy yesterday, this time via the umpires’ light meters rather than the decision review system – leaves Australia with unfeasible time constraints in which to bowl their hosts out.

Only by bowling out England – to bring the series back to 2-1 with two Tests to play – can Australia keep the destination of the urn in doubt.

Australia have done much to help themselves in Manchester – but after defeats at Trent Bridge and Lord’s they nonetheless find themselves backed into a corner.

Yesterday morning they were unable to see off England’s last three wickets short of a follow-on target of 328 but did bowl their hosts out for 368. In the afternoon they set about augmenting a lead of 159; then in the evening they were stopped in their tracks at 172-7 when umpires Tony Hill and Marais Erasmus took the players off for bad light.

A break in play for that reason has become a highly-infrequent occurrence in the modern game – with floodlights universally operational, as they were here – and Australia captain Michael Clarke made his frustration clear before he and eighth-wicket partner Ryan Harris reluctantly vacated the crease.

Long-predicted rain swept in half an hour later. But in a situation where Australia have no time to lose, the 32 minutes chalked off for light was tough to take.

There could yet be further repercussions too – because even if rain relents today, the meter reading by which play has already been suspended will be a benchmark for any further resumption or interruption.

Clarke resisted the temptation of an early declaration yesterday.

After 32 overs were wiped out, though, he will have little choice but to close Australia’s innings overnight and set England 332 runs to win – an intriguing prospect, were it not for that ominous forecast.

England eliminated Australia’s presumed plan A in the morning when they raced past the follow-on target in only 25 minutes.

Matt Prior and Stuart Broad made light of the task with a rush of boundaries, the latter completing the job with the second of three fours in one over from Harris.

Quick wickets followed the quick runs, however.

Broad pushed forward and edged Nathan Lyon behind, giving the off-spinner his only success – in his 31st over.

New batsman Graeme Swann hit a straight six off Lyon, before getting an inside-edge behind to give Peter Siddle (4-63) his third wicket and Brad Haddin his fifth catch.

Prior had already been dropped, on 18, trying to find a gap off Lyon over mid-wicket – where Steve Smith got fingertips to the ball above his head but could not cling on.

The England wicketkeeper was eventually last out, trying to farm a single to leg off Siddle but succeeding only in looping a simple catch into the off side to end a 10th-wicket stand with James Anderson which used up eight overs.

Australia knew from the outset they needed to bat with some urgency – and to that end dispensed with much of the usual Test match caution.

Chris Rogers half-steered an early catch to slip off Broad, before David Warner and Usman Khawaja shared a 51-run stand in the next 13 overs.

Warner, the favourite focus of English supporters’ partisan antipathy after his infamous punch at Joe Root in a Birmingham bar during the Champions Trophy, survived on 19 when England invoked DRS but failed to overturn Hill’s not-out caught-behind verdict.

Warner, pushed up to open the innings in circumstances playing to his strengths, fulfilled his brief until he failed to control a pull at Tim Bresnan.

He was caught, of course, by a tumbling Root at deep square-leg – an irony lost on no one as the crowd jeered Warner off the pitch.

Afterwards, Warner vowed to roll with the verbal punches from the partisan English crowd – reliving the moment in his close-of-play press conference.

“Yeah, I hooked another one to Rooty,” he said, with a smile. “Out of all the people on the field...it’s quite comical. I’m just waiting to read Twitter a bit later.”

Warner realises he will be the butt of more than his fair share of jokes for some time yet.

“I’m not well-liked at the moment, but this morning was actually quite entertaining down on the boundary,” said Warner.

“There were a few hungover people and a few people not quite speaking what their minds were on Saturday afternoon, which was fortunate.

“Come tomorrow (Monday), when I’m out on the boundary and they’re full again, I think I might cop it.”

Either way, Warner will just keep taking it all on the chin.

“I actually liked the trumpeter playing the Rocky theme song,” he added. “It was entertaining for me, and I had a little chuckle.”

He accepts the situation is of his own making.

“Obviously it was all my fault. I just have to keep embracing it. Someone does get picked out, and this time it’s me.

“I’ve got to keep my head down and focus on what my task ahead is – and that’s scoring runs. It’s not every day you walk out on the field and get booed – you have to embrace it. Your job is ahead of you and that’s all you concentrate on.”

After Warner had departed for an impressive 41 from 57 balls, Swann then turned one enough from round the wicket to have Usman Khawaja bowled behind his legs, and Shane Watson – who made way for Warner at the top of the innings – haplessly picked out deep third-man with an upper-cut at Bresnan.

Smith was run-out, in the cause, after a mix-up with his captain Clarke – and then after tea, Anderson broke his duck on his home ground with two belated wickets.

Haddin was first to fall when he mistimed a big hit and then Mitchell Starc poked a low full-toss to cover.

Those were mere minor setbacks to the Australia cause, unlike the umpires’ intervention shortly afterwards.

n Scorecard: Page 12.