Image source, Getty Images

Joe Root also had a very good day today.

The England captain mixed things up well in the field and he introduced Moeen Ali into the attack very early, just the ninth over, and the spinner took a wicket almost instantly.

Gaz

Gaz thinks Steve Smith has Australia just in front. Agree? Get involved on Twitter or by texting 81111.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent on Test Match Special

What worries me is that Nathan Lyon has found much more spin and turn than Moeen has for England.

• James Anderson - very good. One wicket. Starting brilliantly with the new ball.
• Stuart Broad - also excellent. One wicket. Conceded just 18 runs from 10 overs.
• Chris Woakes - the least effective of England's bowlers. Geoffrey Boycott said he "couldn't see" how he was trying to get a wicket.
• Jake Ball - a little inconsistent but took the big wicket of David Warner.
• Moeen Ali - good. Dismissed Usman Khawaja but failed to find as much spin as Australia's Nathan Lyon.

There was also some good news off the pitch today in the pool deck which has been getting a lot of attention.

A proposal!

Michael proposed to Tori, and told Test Match Special: "I've been planning this for about three months. I've been obsessed with the Ashes since I was born and I wanted to share that wtih Tori here."

Image source, Getty Images

Right I really want to hear from you in this second hour of reaction to day two.

• What do you think about the state of play in this match?
• Who is in front? Has Smith given Australia the advantage? Are England just ahead?
• Who are you backing from here?
• Also, who was your player of the day? Anderson? Broad? Malan? Smith?

Get involved on Twitter at #bbccricket and by texting 81111.

So for those of you just waking up on cold November morning, here's what's happened through the night with the game once again evenly poised.

• Dawid Malan became the third Ashes debutant to make a half-century for England as he and Moeen Ali (38) made a solid start.
• But afterwards England collapsed losing six wickets for 56, eventually being bowled out for 302 with Stuart Broad making a useful 20.
• England's bowlers then made an excellent start, reducing Australia to 76-4.
• But in the final 90 minutes Aussie captain Steve Smith (64 not out) led the hosts' recovery, putting on an unbeaten partnership of 89 with Shaun Marsh and helping his side close on 165-4, 137 runs behind.

Here's the full scorecard.

Here's the day two report.

This is your five minute warning.

Starting at 9:00 GMT over on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra is Test Match Special's highlights show of today's play.

Geoff: Very close to call. From an English perspective, a good time to get Smith off the pitch before he does any more damage. Eng lower order was disappointing but still all to play for. England ahead by a nose. Bring on day 3!

Image source, EPA

So Australia are four wickets down and therefore have six wickets left, still trailing England by 137.

At the crease are Steve Smith, their best batsman, and Shaun Marsh, a man with a fluctuating Test career - he has been recalled for the eighth time in this match.

Next in is wicketkeeper Tim Paine. He has not scored a Test hundred and is playing in just his fifth match.

After that is it the bowlers. Mitchell Starc will bat at number eight and has a handy average of 24 but the Aussies have a lengthy-ish tail. Promising.

I have taken you through what has happened today briefly but you can get a more in-depth look in the day's report, written by our man in Australia, Stephan Shemilt.

Click here to read that.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

The England bowling was very good. Chris Woakes and Jake Ball bowled a little too much both sides of the wicket.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad set the tone.

Broad loves this atmosphere and Anderson is a wonderful exponent of skill.

Image source, AFP

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

The game is in the balance. It has been fascinating. Australia started the day poorly.

Their tactics were poor, they bowled orthodox.

This is Australia legend Shane Warne's take on the state of the game.

Interestingly Ricky Ponting said he thought England were marginally ahead.

What do you think? Let us know at #bbccricket or by texting 81111.

Just waking up? Morning! Here’s what has happened overnight…

• Starting the day on 196-4, England made a solid start reaching 246-4 with Dawid Malan making the third half-century of the England innings.
• When Malan was dismissed England collapsed, losing six wickets for 56 runs and were bowled out for 302.
• England’s bowlers then started brilliantly as they took four early wickets to reduce the Aussies to 76-4.
• But Australian captain Steve Smith (64 not out) led an impressive recovery for the hosts. He shared an unbeaten partnership on 89 with Shaun Marsh (44 not out) to help Australia close on 165-4, 137 runs behind.

Image source, Getty Images

But despite England's impressive start, this match way well now rest on the shoulders of one man.

Australia's captain Steve Smith, arguably the best batsman in the world, fought doggedly to see his team through to the close of play just four wickets down.

He hardly offered England a chance and reached 64 not out from 148 balls with six fours at the end of the day.

His form certainly did look worrying and England know what Smith can do. He scored 215 and 143 against them in the last Ashes series.

The Aussie skipper shared an unbeaten partnership of 89 with Shaun Marsh who also played nicely in reaching 44 not out.

That Warner wicket I mentioned? Shocking shot. Relive how the TMS commentators described it below.

This looks good doesn't it England fans?

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, EPA

Image source, AFP

Image source, EPA

If England's batting performance had boosted English confidence, hopes were sky-high after the opening two hours of Australia's reply.

Stuart Broad had debutant Cameron Bancroft caught behind in the third over and Usman Khawaja soon followed lbw to Moeen Ali.

Jake Ball then took the huge wicket of David Warner (26), which in truth was a pretty poor shot from the Australian opener as he hit a long-hop straight to mid-wicket.

Immediately after the tea interval James Anderson had Peter Handscomb out lbw on review for 14 and the Aussies were 76-4 and in big trouble.

Shaun Marsh, by the way, dropped a goober on the boundary earlier. He set himself nicely but the ball slipped through his grasp, hit him on the Baggy Green and trickled for four. It was funny. Unless you're Shaun Marsh.

Image source, Getty Images