What a day in Ashes 2023, it was full of moving-to-win predictors toward Australia and suddenly England pulled up their socks and started dragging toward them to make this contest even on the final day at Lord's.
There was rain before the day's play, so session timings were revised and permitted an extra half an hour for weather intervention. Robinson and Anderson started from where they left off yesterday and Australia was top of their game by respecting the good deliveries of English bowlers. Smith attacked Anderson on the 50th over for 3 fours in the over. The runs started flowing for Australia, hosts don't have an answer for that. A solid first hour for Australia, English bowlers tried a short ball strategy but lacked some discipline in their tight lines and length.
Straight after the drinks break, England got their most wanted breakthrough and it's Broad who removed Khawaja. A sharp cutter at the body line and Khawaja got a top edge and substitute fielder Potts does the rest on fine leg. In the next over, England's stand-out bowler Josh Tongue came removed Steve Smith. A tempting short-pitched delivery outside off stump, Smith went on a soft pull shot to place in between fielders but the ball went straight into the hands of Crawley who was deep backward square leg.
The short ball barrage strategy is working for England in the second hour of the first session. They made this game alive by removing well-settled batsmen and they are continuing their discipline at short-pitched deliveries. The next plan for Travis Head was to attack him on bodyline with short-pitched deliveries and he fell for that trap. Head tried to defend a body line ball and the ball went on the short leg where Joe Root is placed and completes a catch in one hand. Australia lost three important wickets quickly to England's short ball strategy.
Cameron Green and Alex Carey tried to build partnerships and make important runs for their team. England bowlers continued their strategy and Australia was happy to duck the short-pitched balls and make runs of odd balls. After so many overs of playing the long game, Green decided to have a crack at it and gifted his wicket to Robinson. He pulled a short ball with perfect timing but picked out the fielder Ben Duckett at deep square.
In the next two overs, Alex Carey lost his wicket to Robinson, it's again a short ball at the body. Carey decided to stand tall and looked to fend and perished. Root took another stunning catch to complete the proceedings of Carey's innings. Cummins and Starc joined in the crease and they made some valuable runs, in no time Australia lost his Captain and Hazlewood. Everyone it's the end of Australia's innings but Lyon had other ideas. He is making his way to the middle after getting his calf injury and he is getting a standing ovation for his effort to his team. After this, England's fielders were looking unstoppable in the field they were everywhere on the ground. Rehman Ahmad pulled off the greatest fielding effort to stop a six for Starc. Lyon and Starc added 16 runs to Australia's scorecard, Lyon lost his wicket to Broad's short ball and Stokes completes the catch at the square leg. So, Australia set a target of 371 runs for England. In recent times, England never lost a chasing test match. It's going to be exciting to watch.
England's chase started and Starc started proceedings for Australia. Starc bowled one of his career-best opening spells today and he was so accurate with his lines and hitting on his max pace with swing. Soon, he removed Crawley with inswinging delivery angled in the middle and leg, Crawley got a faint inside edge and Carey completes the catch. In the next over of Starc, he removed Pope with one of his favorite balls to bowl to right-handers. The ball was full and swung late from off stump and took the middle stump for a toss.
Hazlewood joined with Cummins and continued their short-pitch delivery spells. Soon, Cummin removed Root with a deadly short ball with a steep bounce, Root jumped and fends gloved straight into hands of Warner at the first slip. Harry Brook came into the crease and returned back to the pavilion by Cummins in the same over. Cummins bowled a back-of-length delivery with a scrambled seam, it passed away the outside edge and took off stump. Brook was expecting a short ball and lost his wicket to a conventional delivery. England were four down within 13 overs.
Now, only one thing is between Australia and making Ashes 2023 2-0 is both Ben's (Stokes and Duckett). English captain came to the crease and he literally forget the Bazball approach of England and played conventional test batting. Slowly, they both made runs, and England tried to steady their chase and they were successful in it. Soon, they crossed 100 runs in the chase.
In the 28th over, Cameron Green almost removed Ben Duckett, it was a great effort from Starc to complete the catch on the slide but the third umpire gives a green signal for Ben Duckett to continue his innings. It was the most controversial call from the third umpire saying Starc slid with his left hand pointing down after taking catch with great control. This is going to be a match for Australia.
With this drama, the fourth day came to an end. Australia and some legends were fired up by that call of the third umpire to give not out for a neat catch. Australian Legend McGrath commented on air "If that's not out, then every catch that's ever been taken should not be out. If that's England taking that catch, that's out. I'm sorry". Ricky Ponting commented in the post-match show at the ground "The ball and Starc's body was more in control than most of wicket-keeper and first slips catches ever taken".
Will both Ben's take England home and level the Ashes series or Australia will defend it successfully and make it Ashes 2-0 for them? After four days of great test match cricket and going down to the final day with some controversy, it's going to be a great Sunday. Let's see what the final day holds for both teams. Till then Byee!!
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