Adelaide, Dec 18 (NationPress) Captain Pat Cummins (3-54) and Nathan Lyon (2-51) spearheaded a remarkable bowling performance at the Adelaide Oval, leaving England at 213/8 in response to Australia's 371 on Day 2 of the third Test this Thursday.

Initially, England seemed to hold an advantageous position after securing the wickets needed to dismiss Australia for 371 on the morning of the second day. However, they quickly fell to 213-8, trailing by 158 runs.

Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon resumed their efforts from Day 1, adding 18 runs to their overnight score of 326-8 with impressive efficiency. Starc achieved his half-century off just 73 balls, showcasing his boundary-hitting prowess.

Starc struck a four off his first ball after the milestone, but Jofra Archer ultimately ended his innings, dismissing the Australian pacer on his 75th ball.

Lyon displayed remarkable composure and solid defense, while Scott Boland kept the scoreboard ticking with timely boundaries. However, Lyon’s wicket in the 92nd over, off Archer’s delivery, concluded Australia's innings at 371. This also marked Archer's fourth five-wicket haul, with three against Australia.

In their reply, England's opening pair started with optimism, especially Ben Duckett, who looked more assured than Zak Crawley. Cummins made a key breakthrough in the eighth over, catching Crawley behind. Following the opening partnership's demise, Lyon made his presence felt immediately, taking out Ollie Pope and then dismissing Duckett with a brilliant delivery just two balls later.

With this, he surpassed Glenn McGrath's record of 563 wickets, becoming Australia's second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history.

England managed a brief respite after a contentious decision saw Joe Root survive an early scare, contributing to a 29-run partnership with Harry Brook. However, Cummins eventually had Root edged to Alex Carey behind the stumps in the 17th over.

Skipper Ben Stokes attempted to stabilize the innings, receiving solid support from Brook, but both fell short of substantial scores as Australia's bowlers maintained tight control.

Brook battled for his 45 runs, but Cameron Green got the edge that sent him walking back to the dugout.

Subsequent events were filled with drama, particularly surrounding England's Jamie Smith, raising questions about the Snicko technology and officiating. Cummins bowled a short ball that hit Smith's helmet and deflected to slip, yet replays indicated no bat or glove contact, leading to a not-out decision despite a Snicko spike.

Starc criticized Snicko from the stump mic, labeling it the 'worst technology' and advocating for its dismissal. Shortly thereafter, Smith was controversially ruled out when another short delivery was caught by Carey. Although replays indicated a clear gap between bat and ball, a Snicko spike convinced third umpire Chris Gaffaney, infuriating the English skipper.

Stokes showed resilience alongside Archer after Scott Boland dismissed Will Jacks and Brydon Carse cheaply, thanks to some outstanding glove work by Carey.

As a result, Australia concluded Day 2 of the Test at 213-8, narrowing the visitors' lead to 158 runs, and will aim for swift runs on Day 3 to keep the deficit manageable.

Brief Scores: England 213/8 (Harry Brook 45, Ben Stokes 45*; Pat Cummins 3-54, Nathan Lyon 2-51) trail Australia 371 (Alex Carey 106, Usman Khawaja 82, Mitchell Starc 54; Archer 5-53) by 158 runs