Australia's bowlers unleashed a devastating spell against England at Edgbaston on the third day of the Ashes test, taking two quick wickets before heavy rain interrupted the remainder of the sessions.
With only 32.4 overs bowled, play was eventually abandoned around 17:15 GMT. At the time, England stood at 28-2, holding a lead of 35 runs after bowling Australia out for 386 in response to England's first-innings total of 393.
Initially, the match was interrupted after lunch, with England comfortably positioned at 26 without loss and on track to establish a substantial lead.
However, England's plans were thwarted when they lost openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett within just three overs during a brief restart. Australia's fast bowlers took advantage of favorable conditions, causing significant movement of the ball.
Pat Cummins dismissed Duckett for 19, courtesy of a stunning diving catch by Cameron Green in the slips. Just three balls later, Crawley (7) fell to a Scott Boland delivery, edging it to wicketkeeper Alex Carey. This left Joe Root and Ollie Pope at the crease, both of whom are yet to score.
Ollie Robinson, the bowler, commented to the BBC, "It was sort of the first time the pitch came out a little bit in three days... Hopefully we can get the ball moving and bat all day tomorrow. I think anything over 300, we are right in the game."
The weather forecast for Monday shows promise, as Britain's Met Office predicts a largely rain-free day.
Australia fell seven runs short of England's first innings total of 393, with Usman Khawaja's impressive innings ending at 141 when he was bowled by Robinson before lunch.
Starting the day at 311-5, Australia lost both Khawaja and Carey, who had settled at the crease, followed by three quick wickets.
Khawaja displayed composure throughout his knock, but under the pressure of England captain Ben Stokes' aggressive field placement, the 36-year-old took the bait.
Charging down the wicket, Khawaja aimed to hit a shot over the strategically positioned fielders, but Robinson's perfectly executed yorker dismantled his off-stump.
"I was trying to get him to play shots he's not comfortable with," explained Robinson. "I've been practicing a bit of T20 recently, went for the yorker, and it worked."
In the early stages of the day, James Anderson missed an opportunity to dismiss Carey in the first over due to a drop by Jonny Bairstow. However, in the following overs, Anderson's angled delivery trapped Carey (66), ending his 118-run partnership with Khawaja.
Captain Pat Cummins contributed 38 runs, including two sixes off Moeen Ali in an over, before eventually being caught at deep square leg, bringing Australia's innings to a close.
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