England move to 180/4 at the end of Day 2

The day started with Broad getting Johnson caught behind on the second bowl of the second over of the day. People said the pitch would be quicker today and we as evidence of that as a length ball fizzing off the pitch from middle and leg brushed the shoulder of the bat of Johnson and went into the safe hands of Prior. Peter Siddle came in at No. 9 with the scoreboard reading 326/7. Just 3 overs after Johnson's dismissal, England got the main man, Steve Smith caught behind off the boling of James Anderson. The ball  cut through Smith as he propped forward, there was a thin sound, Anderson went up immediately but Umpire Marais Erasmus wasn't convinced but England asked to review straight away. Smith stood his ground, unruffled, but there showed a tiny mark on the Hot Spot, quite faint though, on the inside of the bat. Real Time Snicko suggested a little scrape of wood too. Smith wasn't happy but the decision was overturned and he was out fo Nelson (111) after an excellent knock lasting 295 minutes. This was Smith's 1st Test hundred on home soil. Siddle brought up the 350 for Australia with a four off Broad's bowling in the very next over. Anderson got Harris just when things were looking positive for Australia. He pushed at a length ball in the channel and this one went into the hands of the gully fielder, Root. Harris was cut down before he could do too much damage. Nathan Lyon was the last man in coming in at a score of 354/9 to join Siddle. After a sticky partnership of 31 runs for the last wicket which was looking to get more and more dangerous with both Lyon and Siddle hitting England bowlers for boundaries, Bresnan got the wicket of Siddle, caught behind and thus sealed Australia's innings. Having been held up for 40 minutes by the last pair, England would consider that as another unsatisfactory passage of play but the ease with which even Lyon managed to stroke a few handy runs should have encouraged England's batsmen too.

Alastair Cook and Michael Carberry added a determined 85 for the first wicket but, after Carberry dragged one of the bowling of Harris onto the stumps. Carberry attempted to leave the ball but it hit the toe and then the stumps. Next to go was Root was given out to what the umpire Marais Erasmus considered the faintest of edges through to Brad Haddin from a Shane Watson outswinger. Reviewing the decision immediately, Root was ultimately sent on his way back to the pavillion after video evidence could not mount a strong enough case to overrule the on-field call. England snailing along when Lyon got the wicket of Cook to end an important partnership between him and Pietersen. Cook went back and cut and found point with Warner diving forward to take a low chance. The England captain threw it away after a lot of hard work. Trying to replicate the stroke of two balls ago, he couldn't get on top of this and floated a catch low to Warner who took it well. Clare brough Siddle back for the 52nd over and the bowling changed worked as Siddle got the wicket of Pietersen. The ball was slightly short, Pietersen went after it but he couldn't quite clear mid-on, where Johnson took a brilliant leaping catch. With this,Peter Siddle has now dismissed Kevin Pietersen ten times in Tests. England ended the day without any further hiccups at 180/4 with Stokes and Bell going strong.