Ashes 3rd Test Day 3: Rain in favour of England, hosts need 224 more to win

With hardly two hours of play possible due to rain on the third day of the third Ashes Test in Headingley, hosts England managed to bowl Australia out for only 224

It rained all day before stopping for the last two hours at Headingley in Leeds. It was these two hours that changed the game in favour of the hosts, who were looking for an opportunity to make a comeback somehow. 25.1 overs were bowled in the entire day and England took six wickets and managed to score 27 runs. They now need 224 more to make a memorable comeback in the Ashes. 

The fast bowlers did their best for the hosts 

The condition was tailor-made for the likes of Chris Woakes and Ollie Robinson to swing Australia out after the match resumed. But instead of employing both of them at the same time, Ben Stokes was smart enough to bring Mark Wood alongside Waokes. The duo did the work as Wokes removed Mitch Marsh and Alex Carey while Wood got Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins to bring Australia down to 170/8 from 116/4 at the start of the play. 

Travis Head: The lone Aussie fighter

While all the other batters could not survive the swing and sem from Woakes and Wood, Travis Head, who came out to bat on his overnight score of 18, went all guns blazing and scored a brilliant 77 to take the Aussies past the 200 mark. He gave them a chance to fight with his knock. Head had partnerships worth 29 with Starc and 41 with Todd Murphy for the seventh and ninth wickets respectively. 

England do not falter this time 

Unlike the first innings, the English openers managed to stay at the crease at the end of day's play and have added 27 runs as well. The remaining 224 are not going to be easy to get, but with the kind of efforts their skipper Ben Stokes put in the first innings, the team would be inspired to win this match and get back in the Ashes as they trail 0-2. 

What would the two teams want on Day 4?

The weather forecast for tomorrow in Headingley says sun will be out at about 11 am Local time, half an hour after the start of the match. It will continue to play hide and seek till 04:30 pm before thunderstorms take over. It means that the teams would have five hours of play possible minus Lunch and Tea. 

This should be enough to have a result by the end of the day. The equation is simple, Australia must get England all out and the English need only 224 more runs to win the match. With all the 10 wickets in hand, it is advantage England.