BIRMINGHAM: Australia received an exciting Ashes opener by two wickets at Edgbaston on Tuesday as captain Pat Cummins’ six-smashing 44 not out and Usman Khawaja’s affected person 65 mixed to provide England’s “Bazball” cricket revolution a lesson from Down Below. Cummins hit two sixes and 4 fours, and shared a match-winning ninth-wicket partnership of 55 with Nathan Lyon (16 not out) within the final hour of the ultimate day. Chasing 281 to win, Cummins hit the successful boundary towards Ollie Robinson – which Harry Brook didn’t cease on the rope – and Australia completed on 282-Eight to disappoint a raucous crowd that sensed one other memorable victory on the Birmingham floor after a two-run win within the second Ashes check in 2005. “We’re, after all, completely devastated,” England captain Ben Stokes mentioned. “The lads are in items up there. But when that’s not attracting folks to the sport we love then I don’t know what’s going to.”
Jubilant and presumably shocked Australian followers on the stadium chanted “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi” after their group’s exceptional win. Khawaja, who hit his first Check century in England within the first innings, confronted 197 deliveries as he anchored most of Australia’s profitable run chase earlier than being dismissed by Stokes. Khawaja was taking the sport away from England with Australia at 209-6 however Stokes’ fiery supply was hit onto his stumps by the batter. Eight wickets down, Australia was nonetheless chasing the win – with superb purpose because it turned out – and Cummins smashed Joe Root, who was bowling spin whereas Moeen Ali was nursing a damage spinning finger, for 2 sixes within the 83rd over.
England delayed taking the brand new ball at 227-7 and it labored completely as Root claimed Alex Carey (20) to make the rating 227-Eight with Australia nonetheless needing 54 runs. Cummins and Lyon then got here to the crease and by no means left it. England should win the five-match sequence to retake the Ashes from Australia. The morning session was misplaced to rain and gamers took an early lunch. Australia takes the bragging rights into the second check at Lord’s however each groups achieved their goal of constructing the sequence opener a showpiece for the longer format of cricket because it fights to maintain gamers and TV viewers from specializing in franchise cricket.