Brisbane, Dec 6 (NationPress) By the conclusion of the second day's play, Australia stood at 378/6 in reply to England's first innings 334. It seemed the visitors had managed to claw their way back into contention. However, Saturday brought a fresh turn of events as the home side amassed a staggering 511, firmly taking control by reducing England to 134/6 in the Pink-ball Test at the Gabba.

For spectators, it feels like a scene from a previous match—England heads into the fourth day with four wickets remaining, mirroring Australia's situation on Friday evening. The last four wickets added 133 runs to the hosts' total, with Alex Carey contributing 63 and Mitchell Starc making 77 off 141 balls, establishing a lead of 177 runs. England's remaining batsmen must rally to add as many runs as possible to keep the match competitive.

England's primary goal is to erase the remaining 43 runs of the deficit, forcing Australia to bat again. The secondary objective will be to set a challenging target of at least 150 runs for the fourth innings to maintain their chances of leveling the series at 1-1.

This is undoubtedly a daunting challenge, but Ben Stokes, currently on four, and Will Jacks (not out on 4) have a source of inspiration in the scoreboard from the first Test between New Zealand and West Indies, where Caribbean batsman Justin Greaves (batted superbly with 202*) nearly chased down a target of 518 runs in the fourth innings.

Test cricket is notorious for its surprising and unpredictable outcomes, placing the onus on the England team to emulate the West Indies' resilience and keep their hopes alive. However, with visible cracks emerging on the pitch, batting will likely become increasingly difficult on the fourth day.

Saturday belonged to Mitchell Starc, who took 6-72 to help dismiss England for 334 in their first innings. The left-arm pacer not only excelled with the ball but also recorded his highest Test score in nearly nine years, significantly contributing to Australia's substantial lead.

Resuming at 378/6 under clear blue skies before a vibrant and sold-out crowd, Australia lost Michael Neser (scoring 16) in the third over of the day, adding just five runs. Nevertheless, Alex Carey, who resumed at 46, found a solid partner in Mitchell Starc, guiding Australia to 416 as Carey reached his fifty off 53 balls (with 5 fours). Carey dispatched a chest-high delivery from Brydon Carse past first slip for four, while Starc hit two cover-driven fours in the subsequent over.

Carey was dismissed for 63 off 69 balls, but Starc and fellow pacer Scott Boland (not out with 21) added 75 runs for the ninth wicket, with Starc securing his fifty off 100 balls (including 8 fours). He was eventually caught by keeper Jamie Smith off Ben Stokes for 77. Boland (not out with 21) and Brendan Doggett (scoring 13) contributed an additional 20 runs to elevate Australia's total to 511 in 117.5 overs.

Carse concluded with 4-162, while Stokes took 3-113 on another challenging day for England.

Things deteriorated further for the visitors, who quickly found themselves in trouble. Zak Crawley (scoring 44) and Ben Duckett (with 15) put together 48 runs for the opening wicket before Duckett was bowled by Boland. Neser managed to dismiss Ollie Pope (scoring 26) and Crawley off his own bowling, leaving England reeling at 90/3.

Starc returned late in the innings to claim the pivotal wicket of Joe Root, who had scored a century in the first innings, further jeopardizing England's position. Root edged to Carey for 15, leaving England at 121/4. Harry Brook and Jamie Smith became Starc's second victim in the final hour, leading to England's downfall at 134/6 as they faced a dire situation.

Starc added 2-48 to his first innings haul, with Scott Boland taking 2-33 and Neser securing 2-27, amplifying England's woes as the visiting batsmen succumbed to careless shots and a lack of focus, coupled with some excellent bowling.

Brief scores:

England 334 & 134/6 in 35 overs (Zak Crawley 44, Ollie Pope 26; Mitchell Starc 2-48, Michael Neser 2-27, Scott Boland 2-33) trail Australia 511 all out in 117.3 overs (Mitchell Starc 77, Jake Weatherald 72, Marnus Labuschagne 65, Steven Smith 61, Alex Carey 63; Brydon Carse 4-152, Ben Stokes 3-113) by 43 runs.