Steve Smith played an outstanding knock for Australia, scoring an unbeaten 85 and guiding his team to 339/5 on the first day of the second Ashes Test against England at Lord’s.
Despite favourable bowling conditions, England failed to capitalize after their captain, Ben Stokes, won the toss and chose to field, hoping to make early breakthroughs and level the series.
The opening partnership between David Warner and Usman Khawaja proved to be a challenging one for England. Although both batters were given opportunities with dropped catches in the slips, they managed to withstand the probing spells from James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Warner reached his half-century with a six, while Khawaja fell just before lunch, bowled by Josh Tongue for 17.
After lunch, Warner continued to live dangerously but was eventually dismissed by Tongue for 66. However, it was Smith who stole the spotlight upon his arrival at the crease. Despite facing a chorus of boos from the crowd, Smith quickly settled in and responded with two exquisite drives off Broad. He was fortunate to survive an initial dismissal when the decision was overturned upon review.
Marnus Labuschagne, after a slow start, found his rhythm and played some impressive shots, including three fours in one over from Broad. England thought they had dismissed Labuschagne with an lbw decision, but the batsman was given a reprieve. However, he eventually fell after tea, caught behind by Jonny Bairstow off fast bowler Ollie Robinson.
Travis Head joined Smith, and together they accelerated the scoring rate in the final session as the England bowlers grew tired. Smith reached his half-century, while Head reached his fifty off just 48 balls, displaying aggressive stroke play all around the ground. Head was stumped off Joe Root’s bowling after contributing 77 off 73 deliveries, and shortly after, Cameron Green’s attempt at a big shot resulted in a simple catch for Anderson.
Joe Root strikes twice in an over and Australia are 5️⃣ down! #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/wmn9hC5K6c
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 28, 2023
Overall, it was a dominant day for Australia, with Smith’s unbeaten inning being the highlight. England struggled to make the most of the favourable bowling conditions and will need a strong response in the remaining days to regain control of the match.
