England snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Australia in the 3rd Test match at Headingley. England has kept the Ashes 2023 alive as the scoreline of the series is 2-1 in favor of Australia. Skipper Ben Stokes & Head Coach Brendon McCullum would sense that they can spoil the party of Australia after winning a blinder.
Australia’s batters couldn’t withstand the fiery spells of Mark Wood as he consistently clocked 90mph and posed difficult questions to the Australian batters. It was the sheer raw pace of Mark Wood that proved to be one of the key factors in the result of the match.
Pat Cummins’ questionable captaincy
Captain Pat Cummins made some immense blunders that cost Australia a test match, not only a test match but also crucial 12 points of WTC. He left an impression through his bowling in the first innings, by taking a fifer+1 wicket, but falls flat in the second innings where it mattered the most. He leaked many runs when England’s batsmen came to the crease to chase a tricky target of 251.
Steve Smith’s forgettable 100th Test Match
Steven Smith joins the elite list of players who have played 100 Test matches for their country. He becomes the 15th Australian player and the 75th player overall to achieve this milestone. However, he has not lived up to the expectations of his fans and, of course, his own.
Mitchell Marsh’s dream-comeback goes in vain
Mitchell Marsh made a comeback in whites for Australia after four years, replacing his teammate and all-rounder Cameron Green, who sustained a hamstring injury. He displayed outstanding performance with both the bat and ball. Marsh’s last Test match was in the 2019 Ashes series before being selected for this match.
He outshined his own teammates by smashing a remarkable century in front of the English crowd. He scored a run-a-ball 118 runs with a handsome strike rate of 100, which helped Australia to came out from a precarious situation in the first innings. After demonstrating great resilience with the bat, he also made a contribution with the ball by taking the wicket of England opener Zak Crawley. Overall, Marsh scored a total of 146 runs and took 2 wickets, combining both the innings.
Selection conundrum for Australia
Pat Cummins decided to go with indigenous Australian player Scott Boland and paid no attention to the skilled fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. However, Scott Boland failed to take even a single wicket in the entire test match and thoroughly disappointed with his performance.