Ashes 2017-18, 1st Test - 5 Talking Points

Australia could not have had a better start to the Ashes than a 10-wicket victory at Gabba. England won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch which had little assistance for the bowlers. Australia opened the bowling with left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc who drew the first blood as he got the England opener, Alastair Cook, to edge one outside the off stump. After that, England managed to bind a partnership which took them to a decent total of 302 in the first innings.

Australia, however, stepped up their game when it was needed the most. Skipper Steve Smith and Pat Cummins stitched up a partnership just when it was needed as they took Australia to a lead of 26 runs at the end of their innings. England, in reply, collapsed to 195 as Australia needed only 173 runs for victory in the opener. Here are the five talking points of the game:

1. James Vince’s first innings knock

The English top-order batsman James Vince was perhaps the best English batter in the entire Test, as he knocked the ball clean off the middle of the bat. He stitched up a partnership alongside opener Mark Stoneman to hold the fort as the Australian bowlers continued to bowl probing lines. The 125-run partnership between the duo held the fort for 52 overs before Stoneman was dismissed by right-arm quick Pat Cummins.

Following that the right-hander tried to play aggressively before a direct-hit from Nathan Lyon from point dismissed him 17 short of his maiden century. If not for his knock in the first innings, England would have found themselves in all sorts of trouble with the Australian pacers bowling tight line.

2. Steve Smith to the rescue

Captaincy brings the best out of a few players, the likes of Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli and Australia’s skipper Steve Smith. He has arguably been one of the best Test batsmen in the last year or two and has been knocking down centuries at ease. Even the sub-continent pitches could not hold out the Australian skipper as he played long testing innings against a quality India bowling attack.

It was a similar case for the Australian batsman at Gabba. Smith entered the fray as Australia lost two quick wickets on Day 2 of the 1st Ashes Test. However, the English bowlers could not find a ball to dismiss the right-handed batsman, as he went on to play one of his trademark marathon innings. Despite losing wickets at the other end, Smith never lost concentration as he played on a monumental inning with the tail-ender Pat Cummins. The Australian skipper ended the innings unbeaten on 141 and earned his team a lead.

3. Nathan Lyon’s testing spell

The off-spinner bowled long spells as the pace-bowlers were rotated around. While Cummins bowled with vigour and aggression, Lyon bowled probing lines outside off as the English batsmen were content defending him away.

One mistake the batters made was giving the offie a bit too much respect. The strategy to defend allowed him to dictate the lengths he wanted to bowl. Lyon picked up two wickets conceding 78 runs in 36 overs, with 12 maidens. In the second innings, the 30-year-old picked up three wickets for 67 runs. The three wickets were Mark Stoneman, Dawid Malan and the most crucial wicket of Moeen Ali in a controversial decision.

4. Root’s untimely dismissal

Joe Root, on Day three, entered the fray as right-arm seamer Josh Hazlewood picked up two wickets at the end of Day 3. Starc welcomed the English skipper by peppering short deliveries, with one of them hitting Root on the helmet. However, he was fine and ready to battle as Starc continue to bowl with venom.

The situation, however, was different on Day 4 as Root found things going his way. The right-hander started timing the ball ever-so-sweetly as things started looking comfortable for the visitors. He struck some timely boundaries on the fourth day while reaching his fifty with a drive to come back for two. Just when Root looked comfortable on the crease, an in-swinging delivery from Hazlewood caught the English batsman plumb in front.

5. Australia’s newfound opening duo

Australia were on the backfoot before the opening Ashes Test, as the critics constantly pointed out at the new opening wicket partners. Young Cameron Bancroft showed signs of promise in the first innings before his tame dismissal. However, things took a drastic turn in the second innings as the opening partnership was enough to lead the Aussies to a victory.

While Bancroft made 82 runs from 182 balls, in a knock which consisted of 10 fours and a massive six Warner scored 87 runs in double quick time. The left-handed opener hit ten boundaries in the second innings as Australia registered a ten-wicket victory over the visitors, after 11 years. They stitched a 173-run partnership and that will give the hosts a huge boost.