On Day 4 of the second Test of the Ashes 2023, Australia started their second inning on 130/2 with a lead of 221 runs. This was the start of more exciting action.
Usman Khawaja (58 not out) and Steven Smith (6 not out) moved the game forward by adding 64 runs after the second wicket fell. When England saw that Australia was running away with the game, they quickly changed their strategy and started throwing short balls at the set hitters. This worked right away, as Smith (34) and Khawaja (77) were both out to short balls.
Travis Head, who scored 77 (73 runs) quickly in the first inning, walked in at number five and chose to once again go after the bowlers. But the constant short-ball attack threw him off, and when James Anderson dropped him, it gave him a break. But the southpaw couldn’t take advantage of it because Stuart Broad hit him with a bouncer.
Head tried to defend one, but he ended up hitting it into the air for a short leg, where Joe Root dove to his left to make a great stop. So, the 29-year-old was out for only 7 runs (16), and Australia lost their fifth wicket on a score of 197.
Earlier in the day, England‘s bowling looked completely dead as Khawaja and Smith kept adding to their first-inning lead. The two looked calm at the bat, even though the England bowlers looked tired as they came in. But as soon as they tried to hit Australia with short balls, the crowd at home got louder. Usman Khawaja pulled one straight to the fine leg, which gave the crowd a chance to speak up.
Smith’s patience also ran out, and he left in the same way. Alex Carey and Cameron Green took Australia to lunch after they lost three wickets quickly. In the second inning, the team led by Pat Cummins was ahead by 313 runs with a score of 222/5.
At any point, Australia will have to think twice before calling their innings over because England has been able to chase down totals with ease when Ben Stokes is in charge.
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