It is worth remembering that England brought in Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow for this Test match.

They have managed 57 runs between them.

The lack of preparation is showing.

Joe Root is still looking to be positive, as he drops and runs a single into the on side.

That elusive century in Australia is going to take some getting today. I wonder what he must actually be thinking.

I imagine it'll be the batters on the end of his post-match frustrations this week.

Steven Finn
Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

Saying they are teetering would be being kind. England are almost falling off the cliff with the way things are going.

Oh! Scott Boland beats Jos Buttler's outside edge as he looks to defend first up.

Boland, on debut, has figures of 3-5 from two overs in this innings. Not a bad return.

Steven Finn
Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

Momentum is well and truly with Australia. Joe Root is running out of partners. Jos Buttler is England's last hope here.

Jim Maxwell
BBC Test Match Special

It took the umpire a good five or six seconds to examine that appeal.

Oh, Jonny Bairstow.

Scott Boland has him trapped lbw, with the umpire eventually giving him out after a good two or three second think.

Bairstow sends it upstairs pretty quickly.

Steven Finn
Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

Green is close at gully and he got two hands to it, but he was just beaten for pace.

Jim Maxwell
BBC Test Match Special

Green moved to his left and, for once, he has put a catch down. Sharp but it was there to be taken.

Bairstow dropped on fourpublished at 00:19 Greenwich Mean Time 28 December 2021

00:19 GMT 28 December 2021

Eng 57-5

Another let off for Jonny Bairstow!

Debutant Scott Boland has replaced Mitchell Starc in a double change for Australia and he offers Bairstow a little bit of width first up and the England batter slashes at a cut.

He doesn't time it that well and Cameron Green dives to his left in the gully and gets both hands to it but it spills out.

That is at least Bairstow's third let off.

Jonny Bairstow is living a charmed life. England haven't had much luck in this series - pretty much every edge has gone to hand - but they are getting some here.

Cameron Green gets some sharp bounce and it hits the very top of Bairstow's bat and squirms just short of point and they get through for a single.

He's got to capitalise on these opportunities.

Andy Zaltzman
BBC Test Match Special statistician

Mitchell Starc has dismissed Ben Stokes four times in Tests for just 75 runs.

Danny Green: Stokes' batting technique is poor. He was late on that because he was pulling his bat back before playing the stroke!

Here's how Mitchell Starc dismissed Ben Stokes...

It was a very good delivery to be fair.

Mitchell Starc switches from over to round the wicket, looking to get through the defence of Jonny Bairstow, but the Yorkshireman is equal to it.

Time for a change at the other end. Cameron Green, who as I mentioned earlier has got Joe Root out twice in this series, is going to replace Pat Cummins.

Arjun Singh: Sometimes, we just have to admit that the other team are better. We have been woeful, but that Starc delivery was amazing. We just don’t have players that can combat this sort of bowling in these conditions. It’s sad, but there it is.

Joe Root defends and leaves to get through the Pat Cummins over.

"Take the next set will you, Jonny", I imagine is the chat between overs.

Root is on 23 at the moment.

Joe Root is in a rather lonely place at the moment.

Even Rod Tucker is having a little chuckle to himself.