England vs Australia, 1st Test - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Series: The Ashes, 2023 Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham Date & Time: Jun 16-Jun 2011:00 AM LOCAL
ENG 393/8 & 273
AUS 386 & 282/8
Australia won by 2 wkts
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Usman Khawaja

So many things you can look back at in hindsight. The first-innings declaration, the chances missed, that sore finger of Moeen Ali. Could England have tempered their approach just a little bit at all? But that's not how they do things. For them, it's taking the attacking option come what may. And who'll argue it's not thrilling to watch, although it might not always be what's needed. This pitch was also probably not what they were looking for. Stokes wanted flat and fast pitches, but this was painfully slow, negating the cordon and the seamers to a large extent. That didn't stop Broad and Cummins to whir up some magic though. Stokes himself, with wobbly knees, little to no workload, came back to dismiss the stubborn Khawaja. It looked all over for Australia, before Lyon and Cummins pulled off a heist. Amazing game that will be talked about for some time to come. But that's all we have for now. This is Sagar Chawla signing off on behalf of Mukesh and Saurabh Shankar. Time to catch a breath! Goodbye!

Stats shared by Roshan Gede

This was the 15th successful run-chase of 275 or more in Tests in England, five of which have come since 2022.

Highest targets chased by visiting teams in England
404 - Australia, Headingley, 1948
342 - West Indies, Lord’s, 1984
322 - West Indies, Headingley, 2017
281 - South Africa, Edgbaston, 2008
281 - Australia, Edgbaston, 2023

Australia captains with a double of 80 runs and 4 wickets in a Test
Bob Simpson (four times)
George Giffen (twice)
Warwick Armstrong
Richie Benaud
Allan Border
Pat Cummins

Highest ninth-wicket partnerships in a successful chase in Tests
81 - VVS Laxman & Ishant Sharma (IND) vs AUS, Mohali, 2010
61* - Jeff Dujon & Winston Benjamin (WI) vs PAK, Bridgetown, 1988
56* - Tibby Cotter & Gerry Hazlitt (AUS) vs ENG, Sydney, 1907
55* - Pat Cummins & Nathan Lyon (AUS) vs ENG, Edgbaston, 2023
54 - Brian Lara & Curtly Ambrose (WI) vs AUS, Bridgetown, 1999

Most sixes by an Australia captain in a Test
6 - Ricky Ponting vs NZ, Auckland, 2005
5 - Pat Cummins vs ENG, Edgbaston, 2023
4 - Ian Chappell vs PAK, Adelaide, 1972

Australia’s highest successful chases in the Ashes
404 - Headingley, 1948
315 - Adelaide 1901/02
286 - Melbourne 1928/29
281 - Edgbaston, 2023
275 - Sydney, 1897-98

Closest wins in Ashes (by wickets remaining)
1 - England, The Oval, 1901
1 - England, Melbourne, 1907-08
1 - England, Headingley, 2019
2 - England, The Oval, 1890
2 - Australia, Sydney, 1907-08
2 - Australia, Edgbaston, 2023

Pat Cummins: (On Australian supporters) They’ve been outnumbered. We Aussies aren’t great at chants and songs, but they stuck through it. (On win chances when he came to bat) Honestly, pretty good. That wicket didn’t have too many demons and Carey was batting beautifully. (On Nathan Lyon’s on drive) I looked at him and he walked past me, then I said ‘Nice shot, Gary.’ (On contrasting styles) Both teams spoke about playing their styles, we played to our strengths and we don’t know which is better, but makes for good entertainment. (On Khawaja) Incredible composure, played at his own pace and he has been a class player the last couple of years. Really happy for him. I think he had a good feel for the wicket, and then everyone chipped in around him. (On Lyon) He’s huge, both innings he is putting down one end. He is an absolute superstar, he is calm and goes about his work. He is a captain’s dream. (Does this paper over the 2019 Headingley defeat?) No idea what you’re talking about. (laughs off)

Ben Stokes: Very proud of the team to take it till the end, go through all those emotions. That’s another great game we have been part of, I’ll be very surprised if we haven’t kept people at the edge of their seats throughout this Test. Good reason for more people in England and Australia to follow the Ashes. A loss is a loss, we said we are going to keep playing this way. This is the way we will continue playing, going hard at Australia, taking certain decisions that feel right. (On declaration regrets) Not at all, I saw it as a chance to pounce on Australia. Never easy for someone to go out and bat 20 minutes. Who knows? Maybe Root and Jimmy could have got out and we would have been in the same place. (On Root) Magnificent, the way he played yesterday was massive. The bravery he showed in the first half an hour was unbelievable. Credit for Australia for sticking through the game throughout. The efforts that Broad and Robbo put in was incredible, running in with the three lions on your chest always gives you extra motivation.

Khawaja, Player of the Match: So heart-wrenching. When you're playing you're fine. Hard to watch. Definitely one of my favourite Test matches. I couldn't watch it with the guys. Was too much nervous energy there. Was watching in the change room on the delayed feed. Personally for me, even now, I've never felt like this. The ebb and flow of the whole game. It was no one's Test match until it was won. Last Test series was pretty tough work for the batters in general unless you were Steve Smith.

19:24 Local Time, 18:24 GMT, 23:54 IST: The ninth wicket pair manages to finish the job this time around for Australia, sending their teammates into delirium. Cummins himself is absolutely overcome with joy as he lifts Lyon in his arms. It was these two with the ball, and it's them with the bat. Spare a thought for England who gave it everything. They attacked, and attacked, and attacked, and Australia took everything without changing their style. It was absorbing cricket all the way through, none more so than Day 5 where England appeared favourites after chipping away and leaving the Aussies eight down. England had blown the lower order away in the first innings. Three number 11s they called them. Two of those three stood up today. Boland as the nightwatchman, and Lyon as the stylish player of straight drives at No.10. What an epic we've seen to kick off the Ashes!

92.3

Robinson to Cummins, FOUR, Cummins has done it! Sensational win for Australia as they bury the ghosts of 2005 at Edgbaston! The dressing room is in raptures, the crowd is silenced and it's 1-0 to the visitors after a thrilling, thrilling game of cricket! This is short of length just outside off, Cummins opens the face, runs it wide of third man, and the fielder fails to cut it off with the dive

Does he go for the pull at all. He was out pulling off Robinson in the previous innings

92.2

Robinson to Cummins, no run, short of length on off, Cummins hops back and defends

92.1

Robinson to Cummins, no run, short into the chest, Cummins fends it awkwardly and it bounces wide of Pope at short leg. Stokes applauds the delivery and has a smile on his face

Broad has his eyes closed as he walks to his fielding position. He's now on his haunches. How good has he been right through the Test.

91.6

Broad to Cummins, 1 run, short of length on middle, Cummins hops back and taps it through midwicket. Easy single available, easily taken

91.5

Broad to Cummins, no run, back of a length on middle, blocked down the pitch and Broad dives across in followthrough. Both teams leaving everything out there

X
Have Your Say
Best comments will be published by our commentators
Thanks for having your say.
There are errors in the submitted form.
Inappropriate content used!
Name is required.
Name should be maximum of 50 characters.
Name should be minimum of 2 characters.
This is not a valid Name.
Comment is required.
Please validate the captcha
Load More Commentary
Move to top