Ashes 2023: Usman Khawaja neutralizes ‘Bazball’ as Australia beat England by 2 wickets at Edgbaston

By Rounaq Sehrawat: A masterclass in Test batting from Usman Khawaja and a heroic knock from captain Pat Cummins on the ultimate day guided Australia to an exciting two-wicket win over England at Edgbaston. Australia chased down a 281-run goal with simply 27 balls remaining to go 1-0 up within the five-match Ashes 2023 sequence.

Ashes 2023: Full Coverage

Australia began Day 5 at 107 for 3 after rain performed spoilsport as soon as once more and delayed the beginning of play, washing out the primary session solely.

England pacer Stuart Broad, picked up the place he left off on Day 4, and offered the primary breakthrough for his facet on Day 5, dismissing Australia’s nightwatchman Scott Boland. The in-form Travis Head was the following batter in, however might solely rating 16 runs earlier than being dismissed by spin-bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali within the forty fifth over.

Khawaja then stitched an necessary 49-run stand with Cameron Green and went on to finish his twenty second half-century in Test cricket. However, Green couldn’t assist the Aussie opener for lengthy, dragging an Ollie Robinson supply onto his stumps. Green departed after scoring 28 runs off 66 balls, hitting two boundaries.

England captain Ben Stokes offered the all-important breakthrough for his facet within the 72nd over, sending Khawaja again to the pavilion after he chopped a good-length supply onto the stumps.

It was a tense affair from then on as Australia seemed to extend the scoring-rate whereas additionally being cautious with simply three wickets remaining. With Stokes at one finish and Root on the opposite, England tried to place the Aussie batters below stress and it lastly paid off when Alex Carey stepped out to smash Root for a six however ended up hitting it straight at him, who held on to a superb catch to deal a near-fatal blow to Australia.

Stokes arms Australia a lifeline

Just when it appeared just like the match was firmly in England’s favour, Cummins hammered Root for 2 sixes within the 83rd over to convey the required goal all the way down to 37 runs off 14 overs. In the very subsequent over, Stokes dropped a simple catch to offer Nathan Lyon and Australia a lifeline.

Following the dropped catch, Australia rose from the ‘ashes’ and went on to chase down the goal with 27 balls and two wickets remaining. Cummins remained unbeaten on 44 off 73 balls, and was ably supported by Lyon, who chipped in with 16 runs off 28 deliveries.

Earlier within the match, England smashed their approach by Day 1 and, to the shock of many, declared on the identical day after posting 393 for 8 on the scoreboard. In reply, Australia batted by Day 2 and most of Day 3, scoring 386 runs on the again of Khawaja’s first hundred on English soil.

In the second innings, England had been bowled out for 273 runs, setting a 281-run goal for the Baggy Greens to chase. Australia ended Day 4 at 107 for 3, requiring 174 extra runs on Day 5 to win the match.

Khawaja was Australia’s standout batter all through the course of the primary Test. Incredibly, the 36-year-old batted on all 5 days of the Test match, hitting a century within the first innings, which was his first on English soil, and topped it up with a gritty 197-ball 65 within the second innings.

Nathan Lyon was Australia’s most-effective bowler, claiming 4 wickets every in each innings. With this efficiency, Lyon additionally grew to become the primary bowler to go previous the 150-wicket mark within the World Test Championships.

With this win, Australia took a 1-0 lead within the five-match Ashes 2023 sequence with the following match set to be performed at Lord’s on June 28.