What an entertaining day of Test Cricket, Ashes series keep on living up to its hype and increasing it every other match. If you're a Cricket lover and missed it to witness what the greatest England all-rounder did for his team, please make sure to watch the highlights of today's play.
With both Ben's in the crease, England started proceedings for the final day in Lord's and Starc with the ball for Australia. Soon, Duckett unleashed his aggressive approach against Starc and Cummins. He scored quick runs and the partnership crossed 100 runs. Meanwhile, the English skipper reached 50 runs in 99 balls. Duckett continued his way of making runs till the drinks break of the first session.
Hazlewood continued after the drinks break and removed Duckett by playing another short ball strategy he tried to pull it on the square leg side and got a top edge, and Carey takes a splendid right diving one-handed catch. Bairstow came in, he is one of the dangerous players while chasing in England. Since the emergence of Bazball, Bairstow was their middle-order batsman who was firing for them. He is slowly getting the hang of chase. Wait!! There's another dramatic and controversial thing that happened in this test match. Bairstow left the crease immediately after the ball passed him without checking the keeper or slips, Carey kept a close eye on Bairstow's movement and scored a direct hit and Bairstow is not even close to the crease and he is out.
The happenings after this dismissal are something that happens very rarely and only can be done by a special player that the game has ever witnessed. Yeah, I am talking about Benjamin Andrew Stokes, he unleashed his inner beast which he did in the 2019 Ashes - Headingley match. The contest literally turned into Stokes vs Australian bowlers. Australia's favorite strategy to pick wickets is leaking runs like that anything. Stokes smoking all short-pitched deliveries for boundaries. In the 56th over which was bowled by Green went for 24 runs including 3 six and a four by Benjamin Andrew Stokes and he reached his century. Broad played his tail-ender part very well by putting loose deliveries for the boundary and defending good balls including some hits on the helmet.
Australia dropped two catches for Stokes, one by Starc at the boundary and one by Smith at backward square leg. Stokes capitalized on the life that he got from Australia fielders and he smoked a few sixes and reached his 150 and no celebrations from him. First 150+ score for an England batter in the fourth innings since Mark Butcher's 173* in Leeds in 2001. Hazlewood came and produced a breakthrough that Australia wanted to win this Test. A not-so-short ball, wobble seam in-ducker from him, and Stokes tried to whack it on the leg side and got a healthy top edge and Carey ran a long way to complete this catch.
After the departure of Ben Stokes, English tail-enders didn't hold on to Australia's short-pitched delivery attack and lost their wickets. Australia won another famous victory at Lord's and made Ashes 2-0. Bairstow's wicket can initiate the "Spirit of Cricket" discussion again for some days but as per the law of Cricket, it's out which was a favor in England yesterday that turned into Australia's favor and equalized.
England has to check their Bazball approach and their bowling support for the same and Australia doesn't need to change anything. The next match is at Headingley ground on 6th July. Till then Bye!!!
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