Australians take charge in Adelaide

The fickle weather that has proved an unlikely feature of an atypical Adelaide Ashes Test might have delivered England's first real stroke of luck in a series that looked to be increasingly slipping away from the tourists.

After oft-maligned middle-order batter Shaun Marsh vindicated his inclusion in a historically shaky middle-order with an unbeaten 126 that carried Australia to a commanding 8(dec)-442, a rain squall that hit in early evening saved England having to face 20 overs against a threatening pace foe.

In the 9.1 overs that Australia bowled before the rain arrived and forced the abandonment of the day's play 50 minutes later, England lost opener Mark Stoneman (18) with a searing full ball from Mitchell Starc who was clocked at the start of the innings bowling 150kph.

Marsh's innings was the centerpiece around which Australia built the largest total in day-night Tests at the Adelaide Oval and it mirrored the similarly gritty and patient century by his captain Steve Smith that proved the defining moment of the first Magellan Ashes Test in Brisbane.

While England must still negotiate a near-new ball and Australia's three-pronged pace attack come the start of play tomorrow, the knowledge they will do so under daylight rather than floodlights will offer some solace to not out pair Alastair Cook (11) and James Vince (1).

And given the way in which the last week or so has panned for Joe Root and his team, the tourists need every break they can catch.

The immediate new-ball success that England had sought upon winning the toss brought with it an animated celebration from Stuart Broad, even if the triumph arrived 24 hours later than his captain had hoped.

Broad's extravagant send-off that was delivered fair in the face of Peter Handscomb seemed a carry-over from the previous evening when Broad and James Anderson engaged in a war of words with the Australian with the English roots that continued to rage as the rival teams left the field.

It's also likely the reaction reflected England's delight at finally trapping Handscomb in the manner they have clearly identified as a potent method of nullifying the right-hander – attack him straight and full as he camps deep in his crease, and pin him lbw.

That wicket, from the day's fourth delivery and with the pink ball less than two overs old, should realistically have set Australia back on their heels given a scoreline of 5-209 and a refreshed bowling attack eyeing a path through the home team's tail.

Instead, Tim Paine launched an audacious counter-assault from the moment he arrived at the crease which not only arrested England's burst of bravado but also restored the momentum that Australia had slowly built across day one.

In a Test, indeed a series to date, that has given up runs at less than three each over the sight of Paine and Marsh scoring at a run per ball for the first four overs of their union soon extinguished the spark that had briefly flickered within England.

By the time the pair had put on 50 the tourists were pushing their senior and successful bowler (Anderson) into the howling southerly and utilising their off-spinner (Moeen Ali) with the wind at his back to help him push through his fast, flat darts.

If part of that strategy was to reduce the risk of Australia's sixth-wicket pair launching Moeen downwind, Paine scuttled it when he clubbed the spinner over mid-wicket and into the crowd.

And from there, after such an ebullient start to the day, England looked as lacklustre as any team who had foregone the chance to bat first would appear as their stint in the field stretched into a fifth, then sixth session.

England's flagging morale was scarcely aided by a couple of lbw decisions granted in Anderson's favour against Marsh and then Paine in consecutive overs, but which were overturned on appeal from the batters who correctly felt the ball was destined to clear the stumps.

The sole moment of fortune in the remainder of a first session extended by 30 minutes after Saturday's rain delays, came when debutant Craig Overton's barrage of bouncers frustrated Paine into nailing a pull shot to Moeen on the square leg boundary..

Like Steve Smith so tellingly in the first Test at the Gabba, Marsh was never able to collar England's bowling on a sluggish pitch but neither was he prepared to surrender his wicket in search of scoring opportunities.

As shown by his return of 29 runs in the 150-minute opening session, an innings that only blossomed into expansive once he had pulled Chris Woakes to the backward square boundary to post his fifth Test century which he celebrated with a rare show of emotion.

For all the spread of contribution through the 149 overs that Australia faced, in which Starc was the only batter dismissed having faced fewer than 40 deliveries (he lasted 29), the challenge that has gone largely unmet in the series thus far was for someone to convert a start into a score.

Marsh was recalled to the Test line-up because he promised that experience and resilience.

The onus now rests with England's 10 undefeated batters to prove they have someone in their XI capable of answering that call.

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Australia won by 10 wickets. Scorecard

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21