Ashes live score, 2nd Test Day 1: ENG (211/6 in 56 ov) Stokes, Smith out in quick succession

Wicket again. Australia now have two wickets in two overs.
This is superb from Australia. Scott Boland rattles the stumps of Jamie Smith and this is huge for Australia.
Jamie Smith's poor form continues in Test cricket.
Length ball - nips back slightly into Jamie Smith, and the batter plays the wrong line. The ball crashes into the stumps and Australia have their sixth wicket.
AUS vs ENG Live Score, Ashes 2nd Test Day 1: England (211/6 in 56 ov). Joe Root (78*), Jamie Smith (0).
A wicket against the run of play once again.
Ben Stokes is out, and Australia are pumped up.
Stokes punches the ball to cover and storms off for a non-existent single. Root sends him back but by that time a direct hit from Josh Inglis has done the job. Stokes departs and England are 5 down.
AUS vs ENG Live Score, Ashes 2nd Test Day 1: England (210/5 in 55 ov). Joe Root (77*), Ben Stokes (19).
Oh No! Will this be the end of Joe Root's innings?
A huge appeal from Scott Boland as Root advances down the track and tries to hit him on the up.
The umpire says no, but Steve Smith is interested.
The DRS shows that the ball hit Root way outside of off stump. This has turned out to be an absolute howler from Australia and they have lost two reviews against Root.
AUS vs ENG Live Score, Ashes 2nd Test Day 1: England (206/4 in 52 ov). Joe Root (73*), Ben Stokes (19*).
Since 2020, when Australia essentially changed the outlook of their pitches, the highest total at the Gabba has been 311, scored by West Indies last year.
The average innings total in this ground remains around 200.
So, in that sense, England have done very very well here, but this does look like a better wicket to bat on than the other strips.
Mitchell Starc goes full against Stokes and BAM comes out the off drive.
Looks like Stokes wants to take on Starc here. He knows that an aggressive intent might shorten the fast bowler's length, in turn negating the movement in the air.
And Starc does exactly that. Shortens his length and falls into Stokes' trap. The England captain wants to capitalise but does not get bat to ball against the short ones.
AUS vs ENG Live Score, Ashes 2nd Test Day 1: England (203/4 in 50 ov). Joe Root (70*), Ben Stokes (19*).
Two wickets for Australia in that session. First Michael Neser got of Zak Crawley, and then it was Mitchell Starc once again, striking for Australia with the pink ball. However, that wicket was mostly the fault of Harry Brook.
Since those two wickets Joe Root and Ben Stokes have held the innings, but the scoring rate has significantly come down.
These two are the anchors in otherwise a Bazballing side, and they might dig deep in the final session of the Day 1.
Will Joe Root score that elusive hundred in Australia today?
That is dinner on Day 1 of the second Test match.
This is end of the twilight session, and when the two teams come out again, it will be night time in Brisbane.
It is 6:45 PM at the Gabba, and we will catch you in 20 mins time.
Michael Neser has bowled some probing deliveries today and is fairly unlucky to not get more than one wicket.
He has asked Alex Carey to come up to the stumps, and is trying to beat Ben Stokes with a slight hint of movement.
One thing Alex Carey needs to be credited for is the superb keeping that he has done throughout this match. Take for example, Neser just bowled a bouncer, with the keeper standing at the stumps. Carey does extremely well to grab hold of the ball which was going to soar above his head.
AUS vs ENG Live Score, Ashes 2nd Test Day 1: England (196/4 in 47 ov). Joe Root (68*), Ben Stokes (14*).
Life has started to get difficult for the batters at Gabba.
Under the lights, the ball is doing its bit, swinging both ways. Mitchell Starc has started to bowl probing overs where he is hitting the splice of the bats.
Ben Stokes and Joe Root are at the crease as England navigate this very difficult phase of play.
AUS vs ENG Live Score, Ashes 2nd Test Day 1: England (193/4 in 44 ov). Joe Root (67*), Ben Stokes (13*).
This is what I was talking about. Harry Brook has the ability to make you look like a fool.
Plays very good shots for the majority of his game and then gives away his wicket via a brainfade.
Here is his dismissal.
It was getting slightly dark at the Gabba, and Steve Smith does a masterclass by bringing on Mitchell Starc.
The fast bowler moves the ball, and gets the outside edge of Harry Brook.
England have lost a wicket against the run of play, and something tells me that there are a few more to come.
Also, Starc is now the highest Test wicket taker amongst left-arm bowlers.
A good innings from Harry Brook comes to an end.
AUS vs ENG Live Score, Ashes 2nd Test Day 1: England (180/4 in 40 ov). Joe Root (63*), Harry Brook (31).
Australia almost get a breakthrough against the run of play.
Scott Boland sees Joe Root shuffling across. He aims at the stumps from wide of the wicket. Root is beaten on the inside edge, and the ball hits him around the kneerole.
Australia go up in unison, but the umpire is not convinced.
Steve Smith takes the DRS, but the third umpire confirms that the ball would have just gone above the leg stump.
AUS vs ENG Live Score, Ashes 2nd Test Day 1: England (175/3 in 39 ov). Joe Root (62*), Harry Brook (31*).
Are you surprised by the fact that England have been able to score so many runs in a pink ball Test match?
I certainly am.
When India go to play in Australia, the hosts put out incredibly difficult tracks. Even in the latest edition of the BGT, apart from Perth, all wickets had a minimum of 8mm grass cover.
This wicket at the Gabba though looks much better for the batters that way. There is a covering of grass, but it looks manageable. This has allowed the batters to come down the track and charge the bowlers, a ploy that Harry Brook has used in his brief innings.
AUS vs ENG Live Score, Ashes 2nd Test Day 1: England (154/3 in 34 ov). Joe Root (5i*), Harry Brook (22*).
Joe Root brings up his fifty in the 33rd over. He is hunting his maiden Test hundred in Australia.
England are scoring steadily and with both batters looking very well set at the moment.
AUS vs ENG Live Score, Ashes 2nd Test Day 1: England (152/3 in 33 ov). Joe Root (50*), Harry Brook (21*).