England openers fall hooking

Alastair Cook walks off the field after losing his wicket for one run during day four of the Second Test Match at the Adelaide Oval
8 December 2013

England made a miserable start to their attempt at a great Adelaide escape when both openers were out trying to hook their way out of trouble on the fourth morning of the second Test.

Alastair Cook was first to go, for just a single, when he mistimed Mitchell Johnson down to a tumbling Ryan Harris at long leg in the second over of a cloudy day.

If that was a hammer blow, another was to follow - after a relatively promising 40 minutes in which Carberry and Joe Root came through the remainder of Johnson's new-ball spell unscathed.

Carberry spoiled that good work when he got more bat on his attempted hook at Peter Siddle than Cook had before him, but still had to follow his captain back after Nathan Lyon this time took the catch.

England therefore faltered to a self-inflicted 27 for two in an hour's play.

They began already facing a monumental challenge to depart this venue with a highly unlikely stalemate, by batting out the final two days - having been conspicuously unable so far to handle Johnson's pace here and in their first-Test defeat in Brisbane.

England were in theoretical pursuit of 531 to win, after Australia declared overnight on 132 for three.

But it was a thankless task - of their own making, to an extent - and the next two contenders for the mission improbable were Root and Kevin Pietersen.

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