Ashes 2023: How Australia snatched a thrilling win over England in the first Test
The first Test of the Ashes 2023 was a nail-biting affair that went down to the wire. Australia chased down 281 on the final day to beat England by two wickets at Edgbaston, Birmingham. It was a remarkable comeback by the visitors, who were in trouble at 107 for 3 at one stage.
The hero of the match was Usman Khawaja, who scored a brilliant 141 in the first innings and a gritty 65 in the second. He was well supported by Pat Cummins, who scored a crucial 44 and shared a 59-run stand with Khawaja for the eighth wicket. Nathan Lyon also played a vital cameo of 16 not out and hit the winning runs.
England had their moments in the game, but failed to capitalize on them. They started the day at 176 for 6, with Joe Root unbeaten on 118. Root played some audacious shots in the morning session and added 97 runs with Ollie Robinson for the ninth wicket. Root was eventually dismissed for 164, his highest score against Australia, while Robinson made a career-best 27.
England declared their second innings at 273 for 10, setting Australia a challenging target of 281. Stuart Broad gave England an early breakthrough by dismissing David Warner for 36, but Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne steadied the innings with a 61-run partnership. Broad then struck twice in quick succession, removing Labuschagne and Steven Smith for 13 and 6 respectively.
Australia were in trouble at 107 for 3, but Khawaja held his nerve and batted with patience and skill. He found an unlikely ally in Scott Boland, who was sent in as a nightwatchman and batted for more than two hours to make 20. The pair added 48 runs for the fourth wicket before Boland was caught behind off Moeen Ali.
Travis Head and Cameron Green fell cheaply to Ben Stokes and James Anderson respectively, leaving Australia at 167 for 6. Alex Carey joined Khawaja and played some positive strokes to keep the scoreboard ticking. The duo added another 48 runs for the seventh wicket before Carey was caught at slip off Root for 20.
Australia still needed 66 runs to win when Cummins came to the crease. The Australian captain showed his mettle with the bat and counter-attacked with some lusty blows. He hit four fours and two sixes in his innings and took Australia closer to the target. Khawaja also reached his second fifty of the match and looked set to take Australia home.
However, England did not give up easily and fought back with two quick wickets. Broad bowled Cummins with a yorker for 44 and then had Lyon caught at mid-off for a duck. Australia were now eight down and still needed seven runs to win.
Lyon was replaced by Josh Hazlewood, who survived two balls from Broad. The next over was bowled by Anderson, who had one ball left in his spell. Lyon faced it and drove it through the covers for four, sparking wild celebrations in the Australian camp.
Australia had achieved a remarkable victory and taken a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. It was their first win at Edgbaston since 2001 and their first win in England since 2019. It was also their highest successful chase in England since 1948.
England were left to rue their missed opportunities and their batting collapses in both innings. They will have to regroup quickly and bounce back in the second Test at Lord's, which starts on June 23.
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