NEW DELHI: Ben Stokes put Bazball aside and switched to pure pragmatism on Sunday, producing a gritty, risk-free 36 to keep England's Ashes hopes alive on Day 4 of the second Test.

The England captain batted with remarkable discipline, facing 112 balls without giving Australia a single opening. His steady partnership with No. 8 Will Jacks - worth more than 50 runs - not only helped England overturn the deficit but also carried them to a 16-run lead.

More crucially, Stokes' patience ensured the day-night Test at the Gabba stayed alive, forcing Australia to bat again if they want to push for a 2-0 advantage in the series.

Stokes enjoyed a stroke of luck when he charged down the track, was squared up, and sent a thick edge off a rising Scott Boland delivery just high enough to evade a leaping Cameron Green in the slips, barely 15 minutes before the interval.

Australia's bowlers kept things tight, relentlessly hitting disciplined lines and lengths while peppering in sharp short balls, trying to lure England's typically aggressive batters into a false shot.

Stokes and Jacks resisted the temptation, knowing that a wicket would expose the tailenders. Jacks was unbeaten on 25 from 66 deliveries and England added 59 runs in the session that was played in sunny, subtropical conditions. It was a completely different approach to England's usual attack-at-all-costs mentality that has attracted wide criticism in the first two Ashes tests so far.

England resumed Sunday at 134-6, and took an hour and 36 minutes — 18.2 overs — to score the 43 runs needed to erase the deficit, batting watchfully against an Australian attack.

A single from Jacks in the following over brought up the 50-partnership for the seventh wicket and give England a one-run lead.

Part-time tweaker Travis Head came on to bowl minutes before the break, the first over of spin for Australia in the match after veteran Nathan Lyon was omitted from the XI in favor of four specialist pacemen.

Marnus Labuschagne, another part-timer, bowled an over of medium pace immediately before the interval.

Stokes has rescued England from seemingly losing positions before and remains the biggest hope for the tourists even to take the match into Day 5.

Australia won the series-opening test on Day 2 of the scheduled five. At least the second test has gone well into a fourth day.

Mitchell Starc, who took 10 wickets in Perth and six in the first innings here, had a big day out on Saturday by scoring an innings-high 77 as Australia responded with 511 for a 177-run first-innings lead. He then took two wickets under lights but wasn't able to add to his wicket tally before the big break on Sunday.

(With AP Inputs)