Crawley (44) and Pope (26) continued their middling series by scooping short-of-a-length balls back into Neser’s hands after the Queenslander put one down earlier in the innings.
Fresh from ending his century drought in Australia on Thursday, Root exuded authority behind point and encouraged Harry Brook to shift momentum with him.
Mitch Starc cuts on his way to 77.Credit: Getty Images
But with 46 minutes left in the day, Starc claimed his 17th wicket of the series, finding Root’s edge through to Carey. It felt like the decisive moment. Brook also managed just 15 before falling to Scott Boland.
The scale of England’s challenge was put into perspective earlier in the day by the fact Australia have never lost a Test at the Gabba after posting 400 in an innings, let alone 500.
After Neser fell early for 16, England’s pace-heavy attack quickly ran out of ideas as Carey and Starc punished anything loose and absorbed the better deliveries with composure.
The new ball, taken at 7-405, changed little: just one wicket fell in 19 overs before the main interval, which Australia reached in complete control. Things didn’t get better after as Boland (21 not out) and No.11 Brendan Doggett (13) rubbed salt into the wound.
Before the day’s play had even begun, Jofra Archer’s arrival at the ground with a pillow – a not-so-subtle sign he expected a short stint in the field, followed by a long rest – was seized on by commentators as a portent of bad things to come for the tourists.
“I’m sorry, but that’s a shocking look,” said former Australian opener Matt Hayden said in commentary for Channel Seven. “If I was a batsman … I would be digging in – forever.
“It’d be exactly what you need as a batsman. You’d be looking over at that [pillow] and going, you are never going to sleep on that. Never any part of this day are you going to see that. Not even at night.”
England had not planned for the workload of a full session of bowling in the afternoon sun on day three, raising fresh concerns over whether their quicks will be able to back up for the third Test in Adelaide, starting December 17. At least they are now likely to get most of Sunday off.
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Brydon Carse (4-152) toiled hard but was probably thankful he didn’t get a fifth wicket. Many would have found him raising the ball after returning those figures faintly ridiculous.
Carey eventually edged a Gus Atkinson delivery to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, but highlights for the visitors were scarce as Starc absorbed delivery after delivery in the hope of bowling under lights. A slower run rate and a pragmatic approach was critical.
With a slog sweep into the leg side for four, Starc brought up his 12th Test half century and fifth against England to the delight of a raucous Gabba crowd.
A maiden Test century beckoned before Starc holed out to mid-off, 23 shy of the milestone.
