Ashes: Jofra Archer criticised by Matthew Hayden for bringing pillow to Gabba
Jofra Archer was criticized by former Australia opener Matthew Hayden for the “shocking appearance” of his arrival on the pad for the third day of the second Ashes Test.
Fast bowler Archer was seen with a pillow tucked under his arm before the game at the Gabba, with England needing four wickets to complete the first innings in Australia to keep their Ashes hopes alive.
And the 30-year-old had to wait out his rest as Australia frustrated England throughout the entire opening session.
Despite losing two wickets, the home team increased the difference to 450-8 and was ahead by 116 runs.
Only twice before had England overturned a first-innings deficit of over 100 to win a Test in Australia. The last time was at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1979.
“I’m sorry but that’s a shocking look,” Hayden, who plays 103 Tests, told Channel 7.
“If I were a hitter, I’ll tell you what I’d do, I’d keep digging. Forever.
“I would say that’s exactly what you need as a batsman. You’d look out there and think ‘you’ll never sleep with this’.”
“You won’t see this during any part of the day. You won’t even see this at night.”
England captain Ben Stokes bowled out Michael Neser for 16 after Australia were bowled out for 378-6.
As England took the second new ball in 80 overs, Gus Atkinson edged Alex Carey for 63.
Archer shared the new ball with Atkinson, bowling five wicketless overs and conceding 13 runs.
And England could not find a way out of the ninth-wicket partnership of Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland. The pair added 34 runs in 16 overs at half-time. Starc rose to 46th place and Boland rose to 7th place.
The extra time spent batting in daylight is vital for Australia. This means England will face a newer ball when they bat under the floodlights on Saturday.
England’s deflationary opener to the third day followed an errant performance on Friday in which the tourists missed five chances on the field.
Former captain Michael Vaughan has questioned England’s preparations for this Ashes series, saying they look “tired”.
After a four-year absence due to a series of serious injuries, Archer returned to Test cricket in the summer.
The Sussex native bowled 25 overs in the first interval on day three in Brisbane, his second-highest run in a Test innings since 2019 – the 26.1 he bowled in the first innings of the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, the second match of his comeback.
On Friday, Archer bowled seven-plus spells just after the first interval; this was his longest uninterrupted spell in Test cricket, spanning five years.
