In an appetizing contest between bat and ball, the Ashes 4th test match started with a divine Day 1. England’s captain tossed the coin into the sky, and Stokes opted to bowl first after winning the toss in a very decisive match. Stuart Broad attained a massive feat as he took his 600th wicket in Test format. Stuart Broad became the second pacer after James Anderson to enter the club of 600 Test wickets.
Australia is leading 2-1 in the Ashes and would love to achieve the desired result by winning this test. Both teams made one change each. England brought back local lad James Anderson into the squad, while Australia replaced Todd Murphy with Cameron Green.
England’s pacer rocked the day at Old Trafford as their veteran, Stuart Broad, became the fifth player in history to take 600 wickets in test cricket. He achieved this feat by taking the wicket of Travis Head, who was looking solid at the crease.
Top Performer Of The Day
From the visitors’ side, every batsman contributed a bit, but it was Marnus Labuschagne and Mitch Marsh who managed to notch up their half-centuries but threw their wickets after playing brilliantly. Also, Steve Smith and Travis Head made some odd 40 runs, but they didn’t carry their innings a considerable distance.
On the other hand, England’s bowlers ensured that Australia wouldn’t go far enough from their reach, and hence, they kept picking the wickets of the dangerous Aussie batsmen at regular intervals. Australia were 299 for the loss of 8 wickets on Day 1.
A major role was played by the England pacer Chris Woakes, who dismissed 4 Australian batsmen, including Aussie Opener David Warner, both the all-rounders Mitch Marsh and Cameron Green, and wicket-keeper batter Alex Carey. Stuart Broad, who joins the 600-test wickets club, got the very crucial wickets of Usman Khawaja and rock steady Travis Head. Mark Wood and Moeen Ali leaked some runs but got the key wickets of Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, respectively.
Deadlocked Battle on Day 1 as Both Teams are Neck and Neck
At the end of Day 1, it’s difficult to say who has the edge, but England must be feeling more relaxed than the visitors, as they managed to take all the crucial wickets without getting punished by the Aussies. There were high chances of a strong partnership building, but England restricted them from having excessive fun in North England.
Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, and Mitch Marsh – these batsmen have the caliber to turn things around in a dominating way, but the English bowlers were spot on in breaking the partnerships.
Despite all the debates, the day would be remembered for only one man – Stuart Broad. Reaching the illustrious milestone of 600 wickets in test cricket, he joins the aristocracy of players who have achieved this feat, being the 5th test bowler overall and the second English player after his ally James Anderson.
Moreover, he has become the highest wicket-taker for England in Tests against Australia, with 149 wickets, surpassing the record of Ian Botham(148 wickets).
What To Expect On Day 2
England must be looking to get the remaining two wickets in under 30 minutes and then hope that the batting unit performs extraordinarily. A lot depends on the openers and Joe Root. Joe Root, who scored a ton in the Edgbaston test, has yet to deliver that kind of innings again in this do-or-die match for the hosts.
Also, English fans are hoping for the Stokes magic once again, as he is enjoying the form of his life and can turn anything into gold. The first and utmost priority of English batsmen would be to remove the deficit from their shoulders.
For Australia, it’s simple and clear to play some shots here and there and score as many runs as they can. With just 2 wickets remaining and 299 runs on the board, they can’t hope for partnerships, so it’s best for them to make quick boundaries, and in that process, getting out wouldn’t matter much for them.
Their prime job tomorrow is to restrict the hosts from scoring runs in a bazball approach, as it is already certain that England is going to play their game naturally, and Australia has the best chance to grab wickets when England’s batsmen try to put their foot on the accelerator. An exciting day 2 is on the cards with a stage set for English fans to witness bazball cricket once again.
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