Australia’s push for victory against England in the second Ashes Test in Adelaide looks likely to be delayed by rain.
England are set to resume their second innings at 6-247, still 283 runs behind and with Australia needing just four more wickets on the final day to go 2-0 up in the five-Test series.
However steady rain has been falling in Adelaide on Monday morning.
The forecast is for a possible storm but it is expected to clear later in the day.
Australia will be pinning their hopes on early breakthroughs with the second new ball when the match resumes with Stuart Broad on 22 and Matt Prior on 31 as the tourists attempt to bat out the day for a draw.
A more likely Australia win would leave home fans licking their lips ahead of Friday’s third Test on a fast and bouncy deck in Perth.
Paceman Peter Siddle says the Australians haven’t looked ahead to the Perth match yet and they’re determined to extinguish England’s resistance with the new ball.
Siddle has been Australia’s leading bowler in the second innings with 2-21 off 13 overs, while Mitchell Johnson (1-53) has been fast and dangerous but has taken only one wicket after his 7-40 in the first innings.
“The big factor is probably going to be the new ball,” Siddle said on Sunday night.
“It’s only 10 overs old so we’re still going to have a good crack at that early on.
“The bounce, it has been playing up a little bit as it does usually late in a Test match so that is probably going to help us a little bit, get the reverse (swing) going and hopefully have some success with that.
“We just want to try and get these wickets as soon as we can,” Siddle said.