The ashes is always known to be one of the most intense and thrilling rivalries in cricket, and yesterday was another glorious example in a long line of thrillers as Australia defied the odds against a rampant England and the unstoppable Hollies stand to eke out a 2-wicket win on the last day of the test that saw this game wildly fluctuate from one side to another throughout the course of 5 days of exhilarating cricket.
The game had everything- Centuries from Root and Khawaja, Broad running around like he’s Forrest Gump, reverse sweeps for six, and edge of the seat antics. It all contributed to 5 glorious days of cricket which thrilled audiences all around the world.
Here are a few talking points of the 1st Test match of the Ashes 2023 tournament!!
1. The Declaration
If there is one thing from this test that will be talked for quite a while, it will be the declaration by Ben Stokes which raised quite a few eyebrows. The score was 393/8, with Joe Root fresh from pummelling Nathan Lyon for 20 runs in an over and Ollie Robinson ably giving him the support from the other end.
It was assumed that England would play out the day and add a further 40 runs, even more with the way both were batting at that stage. But Stokes decided that 393 was enough and the opportunity to get a couple of Australian wickets before the close of play was too good to pass on. In the end, the declaration did not turn out to be beneficial for England even though Stokes not regretting the call one bit. Somewhere down the line it will come to haunt him if this series does not go his way.
Image Credits: The Guardian
2. Cummins and Lyon do it with the bat
The Ashes over the years have witnessed a lot of 9th and 10th wicket partnerships which have gone on to change the outcomes of the game. Ben Stokes and Jack Leach, Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz, and now you can add Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins to this list. Earlier in the test it was these two with the ball who made sure that England did not run away with the game, which they threatened to do at one point, but it is their contribution with the bat that will be remembered more.
When Lyon walked in to bat after Carey was dismissed, the equation read 54 runs to win with 2 wickets in hand. England had not yet taken the new ball and everyone felt that it was a foregone conclusion that England would win the game. However, Lyon and Cummins had different ideas.
Both of them went about playing some of the most sensible cricket shots, giving an impression that these were two top order batsmen playing together. While Cummins is known for his prowess with the bat, Lyon was no slouch either, unleashing a couple of beautiful strokes to the boundary. It was fitting that the two were the match winners for the Aussies because they deserved to be on the winning side due the work they put in with both bat and ball.
Image Credits: Sky Sports
3. England’s new ball reluctance in the opening Test of the Ashes 2023
With 80 overs done and the final day precariously poised, it felt like a matter of time before England took the new ball and handed it over to Stuart Broad to get them the dismissals that they needed to win the test match. Instead, it was Joe Root who was given another over with the old ball. While that worked the trick with Root accounting for Alex Carey, the fact that Stokes continued to bowl with the old ball for the next 5 overs left everyone baffled.
They should have taken the new ball immediately after the Root over, or if not then, after Root got hammered by Cummins for 2 sixes in the same over. Instead, both Lyon and Cummins played the old ball comfortably well, getting the feel of the conditions, thereby letting them play the new ball with ease.
Latest Update From Ashes 2023
Australia and England have been deducted a couple of points from their World Test Championship tally. The two sides were found guilty of maintaining slow over rates during the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. Players from both sides were also fined 40 percent of their match fees.
