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On the gripping opening day of the fifth and final Ashes 2023 Test at Kennington Oval in London, Australia’s Mitchell Starc stole the limelight with a scintillating bowling display, overshadowing Harry Brook‘s resilient effort for England. The visitors put up a strong performance, limiting England to 283 runs in their first innings before ending the day at a solid 61/1.
Pat Cummins, the Australian skipper, made a crucial decision to bowl first after winning the toss, and his bowlers responded brilliantly to the challenge. England’s openers, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, started briskly, but Mitchell Marsh made the first breakthrough by dismissing Duckett early on. The wickets of Crawley and former captain Joe Root followed soon after, leaving England at 73/3.
Also watch:Ben Duckett almost chops partner Zak Crawley’s head with a cracking shot
However, the tide seemed to turn when Brook and Moeen Ali joined forces. They formed a resilient partnership of 111 runs for the fourth wicket, putting England back in the contest. The duo appeared to be taking the game away from Australia.
Starc, Hazlewood drive Australia’s comeback
Australia found the breakthrough they needed when Todd Murphy dismissed Moeen, breaking the crucial partnership. It was then that Starc and Josh Hazlewood stepped up and orchestrated a brilliant bowling comeback.
Starc’s left-arm magic worked wonders as he delivered a peach of a delivery to dismiss England skipper Ben Stokes and later claimed the well-set Brook for 85. Meanwhile, Hazlewood got rid of Jonny Bairstow with a superb nip-backer, further denting England’s middle order. Despite some valuable runs from Chris Woakes and Mark Wood, Australia managed to wrap up England’s innings just after Tea without conceding too many.
In reply, Australia’s batting proved steady, with David Warner getting yet another start in the series before being dismissed by Woakes for the third time in a row. However, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne exhibited composure and determination, averting any further setbacks in the Australian innings. By the end of Day 1, Australia reached a comfortable 61/1, firmly placing themselves in a commanding position. Starc’s exceptional performance with the ball, finishing with figures of 4 wickets for 82 runs, provided a significant advantage to the tourists.
