Mitchell Marsh scores a ton, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes make impressive comeback.

ngland’s fast bowlers made a strong impact in the first session of the opening day of the third Ashes Test at Headingley, taking crucial wickets of key Australian batsmen. Stuart Broad dismissed David Warner and Steve Smith, while Mark Wood and Chris Woakes removed Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne, respectively. However, Mitchell Marsh, playing his first Test of the series, and Travis Head built a resilient partnership that surpassed the 50-run mark, providing a counter-attacking response. This partnership frustrated the English bowlers, and they were unable to break through for wickets in the second session.

Marsh displayed exceptional form and quickly reached his fourth Test half-century, continuing to pile on runs with confidence. His innings gained momentum, and he went on to score a remarkable century off just 102 balls. Alongside Head, Marsh nullified the advantage that England had gained in the earlier session. The partnership thrived and reached a formidable 155 runs off 168 deliveries. However, just before Tea, Marsh’s innings came to an end on 118 runs off the same number of balls.

In the subsequent session, England made a strong comeback as Mark Wood continued his excellent bowling performance, taking his tally to four wickets. Australia, who were 240/4 at one point, found themselves struggling at 254/9. Wood eventually completed his five-wicket haul, dismissing the Australian team for a total of 263 runs.

Wood’s exceptional bowling played a pivotal role in dismantling the Australian batting lineup. His ability to consistently take wickets and maintain pressure contributed significantly to England’s strong finish in the final session.