Blow for England as Kevin Pietersen endures unhappy return

Under a cloudy sky, Australia’s new-ball pair of Pattinson and Mitchell Starc found swing immediately but struggled with their lines in the opening overs. The first ball of the series, delivered by Pattinson, was a looping bouncer that was called wide by umpire Aleem Dar, while only wicketkeeper Brad Haddin’s sharp work stopped the ball going for four byes down the leg side.

Yet Pattinson is regarded as one of the most promising Australian quicks of recent times and it was not long before he broke through.

Any young Australian bowler would settle for Cook as his first Ashes wicket. Pattinson had unsettled the England captain before tempting him to drive at a wide ball outside the off stump, and Cook was caught behind off an inside edge. His opening stand with Root was worth 27, but the dismissal extended Cook’s poor record at Trent Bridge, where he has never made a Test fifty and where he averages just less than 19.

On his Ashes debut, Root was watchful, while Trott played with greater freedom. He moved off the mark with a superb cover drive and then hit Agar’s first ball in Test cricket, a low full toss, through extra-cove for another boundary.

Agar recovered quickly, though, and showed promise in his first spell. Tall and lean, he was brave enough to flight the ball, tempting the batsman to attack. There were no wickets in the first spell but there was encouragement for captain, bowler and coach Darren Lehmann.

Root and Trott have batted well together in international cricket so far and they registered a half-century stand here. Just when Root was beginning to settle, though, he was undone by a fine delivery.

Siddle’s first four-over spell cost 26 runs but when he was switched to the Radcliffe Road End, the reward was immediate. Siddle, who took a hat-trick in the opening Test of the last Ashes series in Australia, produced a late-swinging yorker that beat Root’s defence and cannoned into his off stump.

Though the conditions were favourable for bowling, Australia were not miserly or consistent enough with their lines or lengths. They could, however, have ensured Pietersen’s return to Test cricket in England ended very quickly.

Pattinson strayed down the leg side, the batsman attempted to glance to the fine-leg boundary and Haddin dived for it. The wicketkeeper appeared to have made the ground but at the last minute, the ball dipped below his glove and scurried away for four.

Pietersen hit his first boundary in the final over before lunch, pouncing on a short ball from Starc and whipping it through midwicket off the back foot. Trott showed no mercy whenever the bowlers strayed on to his pads and at lunch, he was 37 not out, with Pietersen unbeaten on 10.