ASHES BREAKFAST: Day of the drag-on

The Cricketer reflects on all the action on the second day of the fourth Test

The Ashes may have gone, but England aren't going down without a fight. Some of the senior players stood up as Joe Root and co dragged their way back into the fourth Test.

Here's what you might have missed on day two...

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Day of the drag-on

England may not have been incisive enough with the ball in Australia so far, but on day two one mode of dismissal was all the rage. Just like Craig Overton, Tom Curran’s maiden Test wicket was that of Australia’s captain, and just like Overton, it came with Smith chopping-on. Chris Woakes and Jimmy Anderson would get Mitch Marsh and Tim Paine via the same method.

Take 2: Curran’s maiden Test wicket

After the ecstasy and agony of believing he had got David Warner for 99 on day one, only to find he had overstepped his mark, the South Africa-born bowler made sure on day two. There was a nervous look up at the screen from the Surrey man as Joe Root joshed that the umpires wanted to check the front foot.

Reminiscent of Sir Ian?

Curran’s dismissal of Smith sparked comparisons to that of another England allrounder making his debut and taking his first Test wicket back in 1977.

_{Beefy's maiden Test wicket}

Smith’s MCG party over

As if your first Test wicket isn’t enough, Curran is the first man to get Steve Smith out in Test cricket at the MCG since December 2014. Since then Smith had registered scores of 134*, 70*, 165* before his 76 in this Test - he averages 119 at the Melbourne venue.

Jimmy passes Courtney 

Anderson’s two wickets on the second day took his Test tally to 521, passing West Indian great Courtney Walsh (519). Glenn McGrath (563) is now the only fast bowler ahead of him.

Cook fires

After struggling through the series, Alastair Cook has produced the goods at the top of the order. His unbeaten hundred was his first Ashes century since January 2011 (36 innings). It wasn't a chanceless knock, Smith dropping Cook on 66*, Australia could be made to pay dearly for that missed opportunity.

His ton makes Cook the first England batsman to score a Test hundred at every Australian Ashes venue. Sunil Gavaskar is the only other visiting batsman to achieve the feat.

Broad’s best of 2017

After admitting he struggled at Perth, Stuart Broad saw an upturn in form, taking 4 for 51 in Australia’s first innings. It was the first time the Broad has taken more than three wickets in an innings in 2017.