Ashes Timeline - 2nd Test, day 3: As it happened

All the action from day three of the second Test at the Adelaide Oval, as England look to bounce back from going 1-0 down in Brisbane

2pm (3.30am UK): Hello and welcome to day three, a pivotal day one in this series for England if they are to remain a competitive force.

They resume on 17 for 2 with an eye on the follow-on target as much as Australia's 473 for 9 declared. Joe Root's side need to bat all day and most of tomorrow to regain parity. Anything less and the hosts will fancy taking a 2-0 lead with three Tests to play.

Adelaide is a picture this morning, so it looks at least like a fine day to bat. We'll see.

2.40pm: The sun is beating down and England are making hay, having added 34 runs in the opening half an hour. Dawid Malan and Joe Root are taking a leaf out of their opponents' book, leaving on length and punishing anything wayward.

Meanwhile, Joe Root has gone past Sunil Gavaskar (1979) for most Test runs in a calendar year.

A bright start for the visitors on Day 3. The first 10 overs of the day have seen England make 38 runs, attacking 20% of their deliveries but maintaining a strong false shot percentage of 15%. Nathan Lyon can't be far away. #Ashes

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) December 18, 2021

3.11pm: 22.0 overs, England 67-2 Nathan Lyon into the attack and Joe Root is immediately on the sweep, swatting the office into the leg side where the ball falls just short of the fielder. He looked in control of the stroke but it was as close to a half chance that Australia have come all day. It's been a solid start from the tourists.

3.30pm: 26 overs, England 88-2 Malan and Root have put on 76 in their 20 overs together, playing with poise and attacking intent in this opening passage of play. An intent to score is absolutely key and means Australia can't just be relentless in attack. Both will be eyeing a half-century before the first break.

4.02pm: 35 overs, England 117-2 A century stand for Malan, who has also passed fifty and Root, in what is developing into one of the best sessions of the tour for England. Australia's seamers are into their second spells and are looking for a bit of inspiration on a hot day with the track flattening out.

^{Joe Root on the charge (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)}

4.30pm: 41 overs, England 140-2 DINNER That couldn't have gone much better for the tourists, who have cruised through that opening session. Both Malan and Root have half-centuries and will be eyeing three figures, while their stand together has already reached 128. Australia have huffed and puffed and they might already be eyeing the second new ball due when the lights come on tonight. If you've made an early start on this Saturday morning, you've been rewarded. It's always like this.

5.26pm: 45.4 overs, England 150-3 WICKET A big moment as Cameroon Green picks up the England captain again. A wonderful going over from the tall Aussie allrounder and he finally seduces the edge which Steve Smith collects with glee.

Joe Root nibbles at one outside off stump and has to go for 62.

Cameron Green gets the England captain for the second time ☝️#Ashes pic.twitter.com/87C7OexKyZ

— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) December 18, 2021

5.50pm: 51.5 overs, England 157-4 WICKET Steve Smith gobbles up another one in the slip cordon. Malan goes hard at a wide but quicker one from Mitchell Starc and it catches the edge and flies behind. Eleven overs, 17 runs and two wickets since the resumption. Advantage Australia.

6.12pm: 57 overs, England 164-5 WICKET A punishing first hour since the break for England and now the follow-on target comes into play. Lyon thinks he has Ollie Pope caught short leg but the review saves him. Two balls later and Pope dances down and picks out Marnus Labuschagne under the lid again.

7.12pm: 71 overs, England 197-6 TEA Another session in the bank for Australia and they've taken a massive grip on this Test and series over those two hours. Four batter back in the hutch and that follow-on target looks pretty distant.

^{Dawid Malan (William West/Getty Images)}

7.57pm: 76.4 overs, England 204-8 WICKET Scalps in successive overs for Natha Lyon, who adds Ollie Robinson to Chris Woakes. The lights are coming on. Maybe Steve Smith will have a dart.

8.39pm: 84.1 overs, England 236 WICKET Australia will bat again after getting rid of England below the follow-on target of 274. Their bowlers will get a rest until tomorrow. Four England batters got into double figures. After the first break, it was pretty woeful.

9.58pm: 17 overs, Australia 45-1 (lead by 282 runs) CLOSE Mercilesssly we're at the end of the day from an England perspective on the day the Ashes probably slipped away. The home side have a massive lead with nine second-innings wickets remaining and will go in search, weather permitting, of victory tomorrow and Monday. If we get that far. Another day to forget for the tourists.

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