Manchester, Aug 3: England lost Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott before lunch to plunge into deeper trouble on day three of the third Ashes test against Australia, leaving the team rocking on 119-4 and still 209 runs off the follow-on mark.
Much now hinges on the partnership of Kevin Pietersen (33) and Ian Bell (4) to pull England up toward Australia's mammoth first-innings score of 527-7 declared, but the tourists were in full control of a match they need to win to stay alive in the series.
Trott departed for 5 when he edged Ryan Harris to Michael Clarke at second slip and Cook's surrender for 62 was also tame, clipping Mitchell Starc down the leg side for wicketkeeper Brad Haddin to take a stunning, one-handed catch.
England is 2-0 ahead in the five-test series.
