Australia registered a dramatic 2-wicket win over England to clinch the first Test of the Ashes 2023 series in Edgbaston on Tuesday, sparking a massive outburst on social media. Cricket fans lauded the thrilling encounter as they enjoyed five days of Test cricket at its best.
In one of the most thrilling encounters in the Ashes history, Australia defeated England by two wickets in the first Test at Edgbaston in the 2023 series on Tuesday. Following this sensational game of Test cricket, fans of both teams not just celebrated Aussies victory, but also cherished the Three Lions' spirit. "Test cricket at its best" noted most supporters on social media after the nail-biting finish to the match.
Brief Scores:
England 393/8 decl. (Joe Root 112*, Jonny Bairstow 78, Zak Crawley 61; Nathan Lyon 4-149, Josh Hazlewood 2-61) & 273 (Joe Root 46, Harry Brook 46; Pat Cummins 2-63, Nathan Lyon 2-80)
Australia 386 (Usman Khawaja 141, Alex Carey 66, Travis Head 50; Ollie Robinson 3-55, Stuart Broad 3-68) & 281-8 (Usman Khawaja 65, Pat Cummins 44; Stuart Broad 3-64, Ollie Robinson 2-43)
Australia successfully chased a target of 281 on the final day of the Edgbaston Test, leaving England fans disheartened at the end of the thrilling match. Throughout the day's play, there were moments of brilliance by Ben Stokes' men, however, Pat Cummins and Co. had the last laugh as a partnership between the Australian skipper and Nathan Lyon guided them to a sensational winning moment.
Here's a look at some of the other reactions on Twitter:
On Day 5 of the first Test at Edgbaston, rain delayed play by over three hours and made it start later in the day. Both teams adopted a patient strategy as a result of the slow pitch's little help for bowling threats.
In the first hour of play, Australia, chasing a target of 281, played defensively, scoring just 21 runs, while England sought to play aggressively.
The short-ball approach was used by both teams throughout the Test match after conventional methods against Khawaja and nightwatcher Scott Boland proved unsuccessful. The innovation did not, however, result from a quick delivery. By throwing Boland a full ball that caught him on the crease and caused an edge to the wicketkeeper, Stuart Broad tricked him.
Nearly an hour into the attack, Moeen Ali was introduced despite having a wounded index finger. However, his opening overs were costly, allowing Travis Head to score 10 runs, including two boundaries. Nevertheless, Ali was able to get rid of the No. 5 batting for Australia when Head edged a pitch to Joe Root at slip.
Australia chose to play more cautiously against the spinner, patiently waiting for openings, despite Moeen's wayward deliveries. Khawaja pulled a short-of-length delivery for a few runs over the wicketkeeper in the last moments of the session to complete his half-century. Cameron Green and Khawaja successfully led Australia to Tea, bringing their sixth-wicket partnership total to 40 runs.
Having reached 183 for 5 at Tea, the last session of play between the two teams was expected to be a thriller and it lived up to its expectations. In a dramatic session, Ollie Robinson dismissed Green immediately before England captain Ben Stokes introduced himself into the bowling attack. Lauded as one of the greatest Test captains of the modern era, especially for his game-winning mentality, Stokes took the crucial wicket of Khawaja, who departed after scoring 65 off 197 balls. With the score at 209 for 7, spectators were at the edge of their seats in Edgbaston.
Joe Root, the centurian of England's first innings, was introduced into the bowling attack and he dismissed Alex Carey. With Australia at 227 for 8, all eyes were on Stokes to see if the England skipper would pull something magical out of the hat to see the hosts home. However, Stokes experienced a moment of horror instead when he dropped a catch to dismiss Lyon at the square leg.
With a one-handed leap over his head, that would have been a screaming performance. Stokes got a hold of it with his right hand but was unable to hold on with his left as he fell to ground. With five men on the pitch, Lyon attempted the short ball but succeeded! Eventually, the dropped catch proved to cost England the Edgbaston Test as Australia clinched a dramatic victory in the first Test.
With series now at 1-0, Australia will look to carry on the momentum from Edgbaston to the historic Lord's when they face England in the second Test, starting from June 28.
Also read: The Ashes 2023: 10 players to watch out for in epic England vs Australia clash
