Australia beat England by two wickets to win 1st Test

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2023-06-21T09:58:26+05:00 AFP

Australia beat England by two wickets to win a thrilling first Ashes Test at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

Australia were struggling at 227-8, still 54 runs shy of a victory target of 281, when skipper Pat Cummins was joined in the middle by tailender Nathan Lyon. 

But the pair's unbroken stand of 55 saw Ashes holders Australia home, with Cummins hitting the winning boundary to finish on 44 not out after opener Usman Khawaja had made a painstaking 65 to follow his first-innings 141.

Lyon was unbeaten on 16, with Australia now 1-0 up in this five-match series as they bid for a first Ashes campaign triumph on English soil in 22 years.

England had a dominant start to the day, with Joe Root attempting an audacious reverse scoop off Pat Cummins from the very first ball. Root displayed exceptional batting skills, scoring 46 runs.

However, England lacked significant contributions from other players, as Harry Brook and captain Ben Stokes fell for 46 and 43 runs, respectively. Cummins and Nathan Lyon took four wickets each, restricting Australia's target to a manageable total.

Edgbaston has witnessed some iconic Ashes battles, such as England's nail-biting two-run victory in 2005 and Ian Botham's heroics in 1981.

The possibility of another unforgettable encounter looms, although the forecasted rain for Tuesday may add an additional variable to the already promised drama.

Broad's pivotal wickets halted Australia's fightback after they had struggled for most of the game. When Root's aggressive batting disrupted Australia's field placements, Lyon and captain Cummins provided resistance. However, Khawaja received a lifeline when Bairstow missed an edge, and Warner and Khawaja built a solid partnership until Robinson found enough movement to dismiss Warner.

Broad, feeding off the energy of an enthusiastic crowd, took charge by exhibiting expert swing bowling. He dismissed the world number one batter, Labuschagne, for the second time in the match and later claimed the prized wicket of Smith, giving England a slight advantage.

England had a riotous start to their second innings after being reduced to 28-2 overnight. Root's audacity against Cummins set the tone, but wastefulness crept in as England lost momentum.

Despite Root's fine batting, he fell to a stumping, while Brook and Pope contributed valuable runs before being dismissed. Stokes and Bairstow were starting to regain control when they were also dismissed. However, England's lower order managed to add crucial runs, with contributions from Moeen, Robinson, and Anderson.

 

 

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