Ashes 2023 4th Test Day 1 Review
Ashes 2023 4th Test Day 1 Review, ENG vs AUS 4th Test, ENG vs AUS 4th Test Match Highlights, ENG vs AUS 4th Test Day 1 Updates, ENG vs AUS 4th Test Match Scorecard, England vs Australia 4th Test Day 1, ENG vs AUS Ashes 2023 4th Test Day 1 Review.
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It was for the fourth consecutive time that England captain Ben Stokes won the toss. And for the third time in a row, he had no hesitation in putting Australia into bat. He was later told that no captain had ever decided to field first at Manchester.
Stokes has never been high on past records as he believed the side that he picked was suitable to take first advantage of the pitch. Australia as announced went in without a spinner while England continued to show faith in Moeen Ali’s spin.
#1 The gripping opening duel
David Warner got off to a blazing start as he hit a boundary off the first ball of the Test. To everyone’s surprise and pretty much his own, the boundary came off Stuart Broad. The England seamer who needed 2 wickets to reach the milestone of 600 wickets soon found success. It wasn’t his bunny Warner though. Broad removed Usman Khawaja who was struck right in front.
#2 Australia continued to bat positively
Warner continued in aggressive fashion as a tentative-looking Marnus Labuschagne joined him at the crease. He kept finding boundaries with regular ease. Just when it appeared Warner will really take down the English bowlers, Chris Woakes removed him against the run of play. Steve Smith soon took over and dispatched even the decent balls to the boundary ropes. Australia cruised past 100 in the first session for the loss of two wickets.
#3 England clinch two big wickets in the second session
Mark Wood made the biggest play in the second session. He removed a dangerous-looking Smith soon after lunch. Wood targeted Smith’s pads as the batter has a tendency to move back and across quite dramatically. The umpire didn’t heed England’s appeal and they reviewed it successfully to send him to the pavilion.
Travis Head and Labuschagne then steadied the ship. The latter reached his first Test fifty of the tour. But in a terrible loss of concentration, he played all over to a Moeen Ali delivery. He was caught plumb in front and it was yet another review that helped England’s cause.
#4 Broad’s number 600
The veteran seamer is the highest wicket-taker in the series so far. Stuart Broad was England’s best bowler across the first two Tests. He had a defining moment in the post-tea session when he bowled a short one to Head and he ended up hooking it to fine leg. It was Stuart Broad’s wicket number 600. He joined this exclusive club of 4 other bowlers who have achieved this milestone. To have the world’s number two-ranked batter as your 600th wicket is a great achievement. It shows that he still has the knack of picking up big wickets!
#5 Marsh’s counterattack and Woakes’ over
For a good half hour, Mitchell Marsh’s counterattack seemed like a déjà vu from the previous Test. He kept attacking both pace and spin as runs kept flowing freely. Cameroon Green though appeared scratchy and Woakes got the better of him with a big in-swinger.
England sensed an opening and in the same over Woakes produced the ball of the day as he caught the outside edge of Marsh. The Australian allrounder played the line of the ball but the sharp away movement caught the edge and Jonny Bairstow picked up a wonderful catch. At 255-7, it was advantage England!
#6 The final verdict for the day
Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc then managed to stitch a stubborn partnership. The duo took advantage of the old ball as it didn’t do much of the surface. But no sooner England chose the second new ball that Woakes struck again. He removed Carey and it was captain Pat Cummins who held fort along with Starc that saw them end the day at 299-8.
England will be the happier side but Australia will know that they are very much in the game as they have got runs on the board. It has once again set up a wonderful Test between two quality sides!
