Sent in to bat in overcast conditions on a pitch with 11mm of grass, England lost both openers to Pat Cummins early on in the first session. Not for the first time in the series, Dawid Malan and Joe Root offered decent resistance only for the former to fall in the last over of the opening session.

After the lunch interval, batting appeared slightly less taxing but the touring side still lost three wickets in the session, all of which will feel avoidable.

Joe Root fell wafting at a delivery well wide of off stump from Mitchell Starc before Ben Stokes departed for 25 off the bowling of the impressive Cameron Green. Stokes, who alongside Jonny Bairstow, battled hard in the afternoon session, sought to upper cut Green over backward-point but could only direct the ball straight into the hands of a grateful Nathan Lyon. The ball was, arguably, neither short nor wide enough to put away.

Stokes’ dismissal was the subject of criticism online, with Wisden Almanack editor Lawrence Booth tweeting, “That was grim. Stokes tries to ramp Green over the slips, but expertly picks out Lyon at backward point.” The Evening Standard‘s cricket correspondent Will Macpherson labelled Stokes’ shot as “horrible”.

That was grim. Stokes tries to ramp Green over the slips, but expertly picks out Lyon at backward point. England 115-5.

— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) December 26, 2021

Pressure builds through dots, and Ben Stokes plays a horrible shot to get out.

— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) December 26, 2021

You can watch the dismissal of Stokes below:

Stokes was the fifth English batter to depart today.#Ashes pic.twitter.com/M3oBD7cYfk

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 26, 2021