Carberry pleased with England's day

England

Opening batsman Michael Carberry was pleased with England's start to their innings on the second day of the third Ashes test in Perth.

<b>Opening batsman Michael Carberry was pleased with England's start to their innings on the second day of the third Ashes test in Perth.</b>

Carberry and England captain Cook put on 85 for the opening stand, their highest of the tour so far, before the left-hander played on to a Ryan Harris delivery when he was on 43.

"I thought we played pretty well through some tough spots and it's nice to obviously get a decent platform up front for probably the first time in this series," Carberry told Sky Sports after stumps on a hot day at the WACA.

"I thought (captain Alastair Cook) Cookie played really, really well. It's nice to see him getting back to what we know he can do.

"He's had a lot on his plate the last few games and he's a really determined guy.

"He's scrapped hard today. I've seen him play more fluently but, in the in the context of the game, it was just what we needed – someone to dig in and keep the Aussies at bay."

Although England lost three more wickets before reaching stumps at 180/4 – with Cook top-scoring with 72 – Carberry enjoyed his time at the wicket and believes the Ashes holders are still in with a chance of retaining the urn, despite losing the first two tests Down Under convincingly.

"It's tough up front and then, once you get through that new ball period, it can be quite nice. A nice place to bat and the ball came on beautifully to the bat," he continued, adding that England have been working on a different approach on the bouncy Perth wicket.

"It's something we've discussed in various team talks about being decisive and making sure if you're going for certain shots that you commit to them or similarly when you're leaving them – which I didn't do too well."

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