Ashes 1st Test: Nathan Lyon keeps Australia in-game, England loses three wickets in first session (Day 4, Lunch)
Jun 19, 2023
Birmingham [UK], June 19 : Nathan Lyon's heroics with the ball puts England in a tough situation as the 'Three Lions' ended up losing three wickets in the first session on Day 4 of the first Test match of the Ashes 2023 at Edgbaston.
At the end of Lunch, England registered a score of 155/5 with Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes unbeaten on 1(12)* and 13(34)* respectively.
After enduring a gruelling session of an in-swinging pace bowling attack on Day 3, England bounced back on the fourth day with Joe Root taking the charge with the bat. He opened his account with a beautiful flick towards the mid-wicket area to find the boundary for a four off Boland.
On the next delivery, he went for a reverse scoop to help the ball get past the fence for a six. Once again Root made his intentions clear as he executed a reverse scoop to find the third consecutive boundary in the second over of the day.
In the first 20 minutes of the day, both Root and Ollie Pope played Bazball in its purest form. But Cummins got Australia back into the match as he ripped Pope's defence apart with an inswinging yorker and sent the bails flying off the stumps. Pope departed with a score of 14(16).
Even after Pope's departure, Root went on with his aggressive approach to get runs on the board at a brisk pace. But Nathan Lyon's arrival in the attack after drinks changed the complexion of the entire game. Root came out to play a big sweep but ended up missing the ball completely. Alex Carey had a simple task to take the bails off the stumps.
Root walked back to the pavilion for a score of 46(55). After this wicket, it was clear that this day will be fought between Lyon and the Bazball.
In the first session, the veteran Australian spinner emerged victorious as he dismissed Root's partner in crime Harry Brook. There was a small buildup before Brook's dismissal as a couple of dot balls added a certain amount of pressure on England's batter. He tried to release the tension with an unexpected pull shot for a ball which was too low for such a shot. Still, he didn't hold back and executed the shot but it went straight into the hands of Marnus Labuschagne. Lyon got the second wicket of the game for a score of 46(52).
Before the end of the first session, Jonny Bairstow had a moment of scare as Boland's appeal for an LBW. The on-field umpire declared him out but he went on to challenge the decision with a review. In the DRS it became evident that the ball went missing the stumps.
England ended up with a score of 155/5 in 37 overs.
Brief Scores: England 393/8 d & 155/5 (Joe Root 46(55), Harry Brook 46(52) and Nathan Lyon 2/33) vs Australia 386 (Usman Khawaja 141; Alex Carey 66; Ollie Robinson 3-55).