Any doubts about Ollie Pope‘s availability for the first Test match were put to rest by his elegant century in the first innings, and his quick 90 off 67 balls further demonstrated his confidence.
Before the first Ashes Test, Joe Root and Harry Brook had final knocks in the middle, but they were unable to build on their promising starts as England defeated the Lions by five wickets at Lilac Hill on a slow surface.
Following the dismissals of openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, England faltered at 14 for 2 when chasing 202 runs in batting-friendly conditions. After ducking a short delivery from seamer Nathan Gilchrist to point, Duckett was dismissed for a golden duck, despite the fact that the two had put up a valiant 182-run stand in the first innings.
Crawley edged Matt Potts to slip after a wayward drive, and it was one of the few times the ball reared off the calm surface and delivered the kind of ferocious delivery Duckett can anticipate on the more buoyant surface of Optus Stadium.
Potts achieved 1 for 9 off his four-over burst with the new ball, building on his outstanding performance earlier in the game.
Pope controlled a 113-run partnership with Root, who had a longer stay at the bat after making only 1 run off 12 in the first innings, with aggressive smashes all around the wicket, especially down the ground.
Prior to being dismissed by offspinner Will Jacks after playing down the wrong line, Root was primarily focused on rotating the strike with quick running between the wickets. He moved stealthily to 31 off 52 balls.
After storming down the pitch and being bowled in a nasty first-innings dismissal, Brook stepped to the crease. After making a mistake with a reverse paddle against Jacks, he motored to 19 before his stumps were shaken.
As England reached the mark in just 34.4 overs, Jamie Smith made sure the game ended swiftly by hammering an undefeated 39 off 22 and Ben Stokes finishing 15 not out.
It had been unclear whether a chase would be summoned late in the day or if the last day would meander into an early finish. However, Stokes stuck to his pregame “balls to the wall” adage, and the game went the whole distance.
Halfway through the second session, England’s top-order decided to take another go at it, and the Lions declared at 251 for 6. After missing the first two days due to illness, quick Brydon Carse made a strong case for inclusion in the first Test by taking three wickets.
“It [Optus Stadium pitch] might be a little bit different to this week’s preparation, but this was all about bowlers getting miles in their legs,” Carse stated to reporters.
“In the few Test matches I’ve played, I’ve shown that I’m quite open to both roles, whether it’s with the new ball or first change. Our bowling group is capable of playing a variety of roles and is content to fit in anyplace.
For the second day in a row, offspinner Shoaib Bashir bowled, but he was unproductive again with little turn available. He finished with 1 for 83 off 12 overs, which was an even more costly result than his previous effort against England’s starting lineup.
Just hours before Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of the first Test, England began the day on a high note after Mark Wood, a quick, was cleared of a hamstring injury. However, after taking 1 for 68 from 12 overs in the Lions’ opening innings, Bashir changed teams, therefore Wood did not play on the last day when the England XI was reorganised.
Similar to day two, Jofra Archer’s strong bounce and multiple bat-beats earlier in the day gave the impression that the surface was livelier. But Carse, who threatened with a persistent back-of-a-length approach, overshadowed Archer and Gus Atkinson. On the 12th, Tom Haines, the opener, cut straight to point, disappointed with his accuracy.
Additionally, Carse took out Jordan Cox and Ben McKinney, both of whom scored half-centuries in separate innings. In the first session, McKinnie, who is 6′ 7”, dominated and went for the aerial approach against Bashir. When he threw the ball up, his eyes lit up.
It seems unlikely that Jacob Bethell will be called up for his first Test match, although he did score a comfortable 70 off 80 balls after failing with two in the first innings. When Bethell chopped back to Bashir, who made a quick return catch, it looked like he was coasting to a century.
Stokes bowled just one four-over session after taking six wickets in the first innings, and Root claimed Jacks in his lone over prior to the Lions’ declaration.
India
