Mohammad Kaif, a former cricketer for India, was amazed by Stokes’s way of leading. The first Test of the Ashes 2023 ended in an exciting way when Australia won by 2 wickets. Australia’s captains Pat Cummins (44*) and Nathan Lyon (16*) led their team to victory with a 55*-run stand in which neither of them was out. There were many ups and downs in the game, which kept the crowd at Edgbaston on the edge of their seats.
During the first Test, England captain Ben Stokes was at his most tactful. He kept trying out different ways to set up the pitch, and he even made the bold move of calling the first inning with half an hour left in the day’s play and a set Joe Root in the middle. He said that Stokes made the 281-run goal look like it was 481.
Mohammad Kaif went on Twitter and wrote, “Ben Stokes made 281 look like 481 even on a dead track without his main spinner.”
Plan for each hitter, and make sure that the fielders can see… Ranji leaders learn from what they see. Stokes, the leader of the Test team, has arrived. @benstokes38 #Ashes23.”
Even on a dead track, without main spinner, Ben Stokes made 281 look like 481. Plan for each batter, fielders in eye line … Ranji captains watch and learn. Stokes, the Test captain, has arrived. @benstokes38 #Ashes23
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) June 21, 2023
Back to the game, Australia needed 174 runs to win on Day 5 with Usman Khawaja and Scott Boland at the plate and seven wickets in hand. On Day 5, England got off to a good start when Stuart Broad got rid of Boland. Travis Head (16) was out with Moeen Ali, who was having trouble with a blister on his finger. This put Australia at 143/5.
After that, Cameron Green (28 runs) and Khawaja (49 runs) put on the sixth wicket. But England made a strong return by getting rid of Green, Khawaja (65), and Alex Carey (20). Australia still needed 54 runs to win, but they only had two wickets left.
Lyon and Cummins stop England’s short-ball strategy.
Captain Cummins took it upon himself to play some risky goals that would help his team get closer to the goal. Lyon helped him a lot. He stopped England’s short-ball plan and kept one end. The two players led their team to an exciting win, which gave them a 1-0 lead in the five-game series.
Usman Khawaja was named Player of the Match because he scored 141 and 65 runs in the game’s two innings. The second test in the series will start on June 28 at Lord’s in London.
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