Ashes 2015, 3rd Test: Steven Finn’s five put England in command

Aside from the cloud hovering over Anderson, the day belonged to the resurgent Finn, who claimed 5-45 in what is his first Test match for more than two years, as England ripped through Australia. Now I’m just running up and bowling, thinking about what the ball’s doing.

Later, England and Wales Cricket Board mentioned in a tweet that the pace spearhead “has a tight side”.

“But pulling up halfway through an over, for someone like Jimmy, he wouldn’t stop like that if it wasn’t hurting”.

Buttler survived a leg before wicket appeal by Australia but was out on the next ball to Lyon for another lbw which England, with two reviews left, failed to appeal as HawkEye showed the ball was missing.

With Australia staring defeat in the face, Johnson admitted: “It’s not ideal, it’s not something we’re happy about”.

“His numbers are fantastic”, Warner said.

“We’ve got 23 runs ahead and we need to fight in the morning”.

Branded “unselectable” by former England one-day coach Ashley Giles, Finn had experienced a mechanical breakdown with his run-up and action, embarrassingly highlighted by his habit of clipping the bails at the non-striker’s end with his knee.

Finn, however, returned to remove Mitchell Johnson (14) with the first ball of his new spell when the batsman sliced to point before Nevill and Starc saw out the day.

England had hoped to quickly take the three remaining second-innings wickets but Australia pushed their lead to 120 before Moeen Ali removed Mitchell Starc.

At one point it had appeared the hosts could wrap up victory inside two days with Australia reeling at 111-6 and still 34 runs behind but they will now return tomorrow and in all likelihood take a 2-1 lead in the series.

The match has resembled a procession from the moment Warner, Steve Smith and Michael Clarke fell inside the first hour on Wednesday.

It unravelled spectacularly when Finn dismissed Smith for the second time in the match, a sloppy pull shot resulting in a skied edge that landed straight in the lap of keeper Jos Buttler.

Rogers was eighth man out for 52 and not long after Australia were dismissed in 36.4 overs. Australia seven down buy leading by eight runs.

The pair put on 42 which is mammoth in comparison to other efforts, before Johnson top-edged Finn to Stokes to give the Middlesex paceman his fifth five-wicket haul of his career.