Ashes 2023:The final day of the 2nd Test was brilliantly poised with all four results possible. Australia arguably had the upper hand having picked up 4 wickets. They were in a dominant position at one stage with England 4 down just for 45. But Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes stitched an unbeaten stand to take England to 114-4 at the end of day four.
It was largely between them and Jonny Bairstow if England indeed had to win. Australia was without Nathan Lyon. The stage was set for an enthralling finish.
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We look at how the final day panned out eventually:
#1 England see off the first hour without any harm
Duckett and Stokes were largely untroubled in the first hour. They saw off the initial bouncer burst from the Aussie bowlers. England were able to find the occasional boundaries too keeping the scoreboard ticking. Stokes brought up his fifty as English hopes started igniting on what were good batting conditions on the last day.
#2 Australia strike back in the next half hour
Soon after the drinks interval though Australia managed to break through. They got the wicket of Ben Duckett who eventually got out to a short ball. Jonny Bairstow looked good for his brief stay until a moment of madness cost him his wicket. Alex Carey had him stumped off Cameroon Green as Bairstow wandered out of his wicket while the ball was still in play.
The debate around the spirit of cricket soon started. English fans were not pleased one bit. Stuart Broad walking in at number 8 made his displeasure clear. The crowd got behind the English pair out in the middle. England though was staring at a long road ahead.
#3 The frenetic passage of play
Ben Stokes was riled up too but he didn’t let his emotions come through. He took on the bowling in his own usual style. Stokes started smashing the bowlers to leg-side boundaries for fun. He kept targeting the short side square boundaries with ease. Stokes hit 3 consecutive sixes to bring up his century. The fans could sense something special was brewing.
England scored fifty runs off the last five overs before lunch. They had lost two wickets but scored 129 runs in the first session. The session between lunch and tea had all the makings of a grand finish either way. Stokes’s approach meant the game would be over either this way or that well before the third session.
#4 Australia started to dry things up
Post-lunch, Australia started correcting its plans. They bowled wide to Stokes not giving him anything on leg and middle to launch over mid-wicket and square leg. England wasn’t able to score freely and this resulted in Stokes mistiming one off Josh Hazlewood. The 108-run partnership between Stokes and Broad came to an end. Australia knew the end was now near.
#5 The Aussies go 2-0 up
Australia wrapped up the proceedings once Stokes departed. They picked the last 4 wickets for just 26 runs. Their short-ball ploy was too hot to handle for English tai lenders. For the first time since 2001, Australia has managed a 2-0 lead in England in the first two games of the Test. The Test match proved to be a great advertisement for Test cricket. England will look to bounce back in what will be a short turnaround for the third Test. Australia meanwhile might already be sensing a series win!
