NEW DELHI: England skipper Ben Stokes expressed his devastation over the team’s two-wicket loss in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston but remained optimistic about their aggressive approach potentially leading to a series win against Australia.
The decisive factor in the see-saw contest was the unbroken ninth-wicket partnership of 55 runs between Australia captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, who successfully chased down a target of 281 on the final day.
Despite this defeat, it was only England’s third loss in 14 Tests since Stokes joined forces with coach Brendon McCullum. Their attacking strategy, known as ‘Bazball’ in honour of McCullum’s nickname, was implemented after a period of struggle with just one win in 17 Tests under former captain Joe Root.
From the outset at Edgbaston, England made their intentions clear, with Zak Crawley hitting the first ball of the match for four. Stokes, aiming for England’s first Ashes series win since 2015, defended his approach without hesitation.
“I am devastated we’ve lost that game, but in terms of what it’s done for the series, it’s hard to not be too disappointed because it has set up a great series,” Stokes expressed.
“It’s not a psychological blow at all. We’ve lost, but if you look at the way we’ve played, compared to how the last few Ashes series have gone, it proves what we’re capable of doing against Australia,” he further emphasised.
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Cummins the hero as Australia edge England in Ashes thriller
Show Captions
<p>Australia captain Pat Cummins led his side to a dramatic two-wicket win over England in the first Test at Edgbaston on Tuesday.<br /></p>
<p>The Ashes holders were 209/7, still 72 runs shy of a victory target of 281, when fast bowler Cummins came in to bat after first-innings century-maker Usman Khawaja fell for a painstaking 65.</p>
<p>And after Alex Carey was out to leave Australia 227/8, the tourists still required another 54 more runs with Nathan Lyon the new batsman.<br /></p>
<p>But Cummins-Lyon’s unbroken stand of 55 saw Australia home in a match to rival the tension of England’s two-run win in a celebrated 2005 Ashes clash at Edgbaston.<br /></p>
<p>Cummins, who finished on 44 not out, hit the winning boundary when he edged Ollie Robinson to third man where a diving Harry Brook knocked the ball over the rope.<br /></p>
<p>Lyon, whose missed run out contributed to England’s stunning one-wicket win at Headingley in the drawn 2019 Ashes series in England, was 16 not out.<br /></p>
<p>Victory left World Test champions Australia 1-0 up in the five-match series as they bid for a first Ashes campaign win in England in 22 years.<br /></p>
<p>This was just England’s third defeat in 14 Tests under captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.<br /></p>
<p>England were left to rue a series of missed chances throughout the match, none more so than when Lyon was dropped on just two by Stokes at square leg.<br /></p>
<p>After Tuesday’s morning session was washed out by rain, Australia resumed on 107/3 with veteran seamer Broad having removed Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith late on Monday’s fourth day.<br /></p>
<p>But Khawaja was still there on 34 not out as the 36-year-old opener became only the second Australian, after Kim Hughes at Lord’s in 1980, to bat on all five days of a Test.<br /></p>
<p>Australia reached tea at 183/5, but were quickly reduced to 192/6 when Robinson had all-rounder Cameron Green (28) chopping on to end a stand of 49 with Khawaja.<br /></p>
<p>Stokes struck when he had Khawaja, who made 141 in Australia’s first innings, chopping on to end a 197-ball stay.<br /></p>
<p>Cummins, however, reignited Australia’s pursuit by launching Root for two straight sixes before finishing the job himself.<br /></p>
Stokes highlighted the team’s resilience and determination, stating, “Losing sucks, but the way we applied ourselves literally from ball one proves we’re able to stand up to Australia… We’ve got four games left, and that’s what we’re going to be concentrating on.”
Stokes made a bold move by declaring England’s first innings at 393/-8 on the opening day, following captain Root’s first Ashes century in eight years. Although England had opportunities to win, missed chances and a lack of substantial contributions in the second innings prevented them from securing victory.
Defending his decision, Stokes stated, “I’m a captain who saw it as an opportunity to pounce on Australia. The way in which we played and took Australia on actually allowed us to be able to do that.”
Reflecting on the declaration, Stokes added, “If we didn’t declare, would we have got that excitement like we did at the end? I’m not 100 percent sure, but I’m not going to be looking back at this game as ‘what ifs.’ We just didn’t manage to get over the line.”
Despite the disappointment of the defeat, Stokes’s unwavering confidence and the team’s fearless approach provide hope for England’s prospects in the upcoming Ashes series.
(With inputs from AFP)
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