The third Ashes Test between England and Australia began on Thursday with the hosts bundling out the Pat Cummins-led side for 263 on Day 1. Playing at Headingley in Leeds, England opted to bowl and comfortably dominated Australia as their pacer Mark Wood registered a five-wicket haul. For Australia, the entire batting unit collapsed like nine-pins except for Mitchell Marsh, who played an important knock of 118 runs. Mitchell, who returned to the longest format after a hiatus of four years, not only took his side to a respectable total but also made his family proud.
In a video going viral social media, Mitchell's elder brother and former Australia batter Shaun Marsh was seen wildly celebrating his brother's ton. The Marsh family was in a restaurant when Mitchell took a single on Moeen Ali's delivery and brought up his third Test hundred. Shaun excitedly hugged his family members, including their father Geoff Marsh, who was also a renowned Australian cricketer.
Notably, Shaun Marsh will be turning 40 on Sunday and to celebrate the occasion, the Marsh family is having a vacation in Bali, Indonesia.
Coming to the match, England fast bowler Mark Wood took 5-34 as the hosts backed up captain Ben Stokes' decision to send Australia into bat on a green-tinged pitch after winning the toss.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins then reduced England to 22-2 before all-rounder Marsh, playing his first Test in nearly four years, had Zak Crawley (33) well caught at first slip by David Warner in the latest example of the tourists' superior fielding.
At stumps, England were 68-3 -- a deficit of 195 runs -- with Joe Root 19 not out and Jonny Bairstow one not out on their Yorkshire home ground.
But it was also another day of missed opportunities for England as Root dropped a regulation first-slip catch off Chris Woakes when Marsh had made just 12.
Australia would have been 98-5 but for Root's error and it was one England could ill-afford at 2-0 down in the five-match series.
(With AFP Inputs)