Harry Brook hit a dashing 85 but England lost wickets in clusters as Australia made their move on the opening day of the final Ashes Test.
Sent in to bat in bowler-friendly conditions at the Kia Oval, Pat Cummins finally winning his first toss of the series, England battled to 250 for seven at tea.
Brook stood out, reeling off 11 fours and two audacious sixes, but could not hang in as the tourists made regular breakthroughs to disrupt the English momentum.
England lost three for 11 midway through the morning session to scupper a bright start, and four for 28 as the ball came to life in the afternoon.
Earlier Brook’s fearless strokeplay lit up a stand of 111 with Moeen Ali, the latter chipping in with 34 despite collecting a painful thigh injury.
Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey would have been relieved to see the back of the Yorkshireman, having put him down when he had just five.
Chris Woakes and Mark Wood added 38 quick runs in a punchy counter-attack before tea, but it was a disappointing day for England’s experienced middle-order campaigners as Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow mustered just 12 between them.
Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett made a bright start despite heading out under cloudy skies, posting a lively stand of 62 in just 12 overs.
Both had a life in the slips, David Warner putting down a regulation chance off Duckett and Steve Smith getting one hand to a much trickier one off Crawley, but applied pressure of their own.
Duckett was particularly assertive, making a run-a-ball 41 which peaked when he skipped down the track at Josh Hazlewood and clubbed him back down the ground for four.
He was slightly unlucky to be strangled down leg by Mitch Marsh, gloving one off his hip to get Australia up and running.
Crawley became the first batter to pass 400 runs for the series but was gone for 22, squared up by the excellent Cummins and squirting a catch off the shoulder of the bat.
England’s mini-collapse also consumed Root, dragging Hazlewood into his stumps having added only five to leave a precarious score of 73 for three.
Moeen made a steady start but Brook’s arrival kept things lively. His low edge off Cummins should have been gathered by Carey but popped loose, and a couple of flashy shots zipped away for four off the outside edge.
Ignoring his initial travails he barrelled forward on the front foot, crunching drives and then thrashing Marsh for a dismissive square six that will have dented the all-rounder’s pride.
He reached lunch with a flurry, including a second maximum when he anticipated a Mitchell Starc bouncer, stepped inside the line and hooked him high over fine-leg.
Moeen’s mission statement changed when he pulled up injured, going from 11 off his first 37 balls to 23 off his last nine. He was cleaned up by spinner Todd Murphy, swiping fresh air, to end a dangerous partnership.
Brook reached his fourth half-century of the series with a pair of elegant fours off successive Cummins deliveries, but his scoring slowed as Australia’s bowlers tightened up.
But he lacked support. Stokes lost his off stump to a beauty from Starc that swung through the air and straightened off the pitch, and Hazlewood got an over-exuberant Bairstow to play on from a poor position.
Brook could, and perhaps should, have settled in for his ton but instead looked to take the attacking option. When Starc invited him to tuck into a wider delivery shaped towards the slips, he threw his hands at it and sent a thick edge to Smith.
Wood and Woakes took the situation on, flashing hard and taking quick runs, improving England’s position handily at the end of another rollercoaster session.
Powell fancies Windies chances against Sri Lanka amid unpredictable conditions
West Indies captain Rovman Powell is embracing the challenge to come as he leads his team into the first encounter of a highly anticipated three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka on Sunday.
Having touched down in the Subcontinent to less-than-ideal weather conditions, Powell declared his squad's readiness to battle not only their opposition but also the elements.
First ball is 9:30am Eastern Caribbean time and 8:30am in Jamaica.
"It's always challenging for a West Indies team to tour Sri Lanka. Fortunately for us, we have guys that have toured Sri Lanka before and it's also an opportunity for guys to get their feet wet in conditions that will play the next T20 World cup," Powell said in a pre-game interview.
"A lot of rain has been around as well since we've been here on Thursday. It's typical Sri Lankan conditions because the ball will spin and grip, and they tend to make those type of wickets for their advantage. But this is a West Indies team that has quality spinners also, so we're definitely looking for the challenge," he added.
Adaptation is something Powell has grown used to throughout his career and, as such, knows the importance of experience.
Alongside senior players like Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, and others, Powell aims to set the tone early for the team, especially for rising talents such as Terrence Hinds, Shamar Springer, and others, as he emphasized the value of leadership, not just through words but by example.
"Yeah, I think it's exciting times for new talents to come through in the T20 setup. You know, it's also important for me as a leader to lead from the front. You know, once I lead from the front, the young guys will naturally follow. Myself and a few other experienced guys are here, so hopefully we can lead from the front so that young Terrence Hinds and Shamar springer, those guys would follow," Powell stated.
The Sri Lankan team, known for its craftiness in home conditions, will be no easy task. But Powell's confidence in his squad remains steady.
"Yeah, a Sri Lankan team at home is always challenging; you know, world cricket need a good Sri Lanka team just as much as they need a good West Indies team. It goes well to see both teams playing good cricket at the moment, so it should be a fascinating series and I think our guys are upbeat about our chances of playing Sri Lanka and beating Sri Lanka at home," the Jamaican noted.
With his eyes set on victory, Powell is hoping his team can continue to command the support of Caribbean fans with another series of quality performances.
"I think for the last 12 months or so, the Caribbean have been rallying around us. When we play our home games, they have supported us in their numbers in the stadium. Now provides a different challenge where they have to wake up early in the morning and tune in, whether it be via radio or via TV, but hopefully we can put on a good show for them and I'm sure once we are playing good cricket, they will look forward to watching us," he ended.
Samson proved no one bigger than the team, says India captain Yadav
India captain Suryakumar Yadav praised a 'selfless' Sanju Samson after his maiden T20I century helped the hosts defeat Bangladesh by 133 runs and win the series 3-0 on Saturday.
Samson's 111-run knock, which came off just 47 balls, helped India storm to 297-6 after batting first, before they restricted the tourists to 164-7 in the third match of the series in Hyderabad.
The 29-year-old reached his century in just 40 balls to become the second fastest among India's batters to bring up a T20I ton after Rohit Sharma's 35-ball century against Sri Lanka in 2017.
"I think we've achieved a lot as a team. I had said we wanted to have selfless cricketers and want to be a selfless team and enjoy each other's performances. That camaraderie is coming off," Yadav said after the game.
"Gautam Gambhir said the same thing before the series that no one is bigger than the team, no matter if you are on 49 or 99, you have to hit the ball out of the field. That's what Sanju [Samson] did today."
Samson, who hit 11 fours and eight sixes, also became the seventh India opener to score a ton and his strike rate of 236.2 was second only to Sharma among Indians when scoring a T20I ton.
He was ably supported by Yadav, who reached 75 from 35 balls before Ravi Bishnoi picked up three wickets and Mayank Yadav took two to keep Bangladesh at bay.
A memorable evening
Sanju Samson smashed the second fastest T20I century for #TeamIndia , off just 40 deliveries
Live - https://t.co/ldfcwtHGSC #INDvBAN | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/UC7Iy1j6yY
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 12, 2024
"We have to be flexible when it comes to batting and bowling. Bowlers have to chip in. Batters have to be flexible, and their performances were commendable," the captain added.
India also posted commanding wins against their opponents in the first two matches on their way to winning their 16th consecutive T20I series at home, where they are unbeaten since 2019.
As for Bangladesh, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto indicated it will be a case of going back to the drawing board.
"We didn't play our best cricket. We didn't execute our plans as a batting unit. For a couple of overs, we bowled well in some matches, but today we didn't bowl well," Shanto said.
"We need to believe in ourselves that we can compete against any team. We need to change our home wickets and players need to take responsibility.
"The way [Towhid] Hridoy batted today was impressive. I liked that the seamers were trying to execute their plans. Our top order needs to improve though."
India will next be in action against New Zealand as the sides play the first of three Tests in Bengaluru from Wednesday.
Charles returns home to welcome party after CPL triumph with St. Lucia Kings
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