BIRMINGHAM, England: Sitting on the balcony outside England’s dressing room, even Ben Stokes looked surprised when Zak Crawley hammered the first ball of the Ashes series through the covers for four.
A few hours later, Joe Root had the audacity to reverse-ramp Australia pace bowler Scott Boland over the boundary. Then Moeen Ali flicked Pat Cummins for six off his hips. Root repeated his trick shot for another six against Cummins.
England stayed true to their ‘Bazball’ approach on Friday and underlined their confidence by daring to declare at 393-8 after Root’s 30th Test century on a rousing opening day at Edgbaston.
In the four overs England gave themselvves for a probing bowl, Australia went 14 without loss by stumps and opener David Warner survived his Test nemesis Stuart Broad, who opened the attack. Warner was 8 not out and Usman Khawaja on 4.
“We didn’t know anything about it (the declaration), it was a scramble to get the tape on, the pads on and all the rest,” England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow said. “But when it’s something that’s not expected, it can be the best form of attack.
“We’ll come back tomorrow with a ball that’s four overs old, a fresh bowling attack and team that is really looking forward to the challenge.”
Root reached his fourth Ashes ton with a single against spinner Nathan Lyon to the delight of the raucous crowd. Root was stopped on 118 not out, including two sixes against Lyon in the final over before the unorthodox declaration by England captain Stokes.
Root and tailender Ollie Robinson, 17 not out, looked comfortable enough to have taken England past 400, though Australia were set to receive the new ball after two more overs.
Bairstow scored a 78-ball 78 and Crawley hit 61 as England raced along at more than five runs an over in a successful start to their toughest Test in the year-old ‘Bazball’ era. It all added up to England’s highest Ashes total at home since 2015.
Lyon also enjoyed a good day, taking 4-149 from his 29 overs in hot and sunny conditions on a batting-friendly pitch to extend his overall Test tally to 491.
Three entertaining sessions saw Australia get on top before England rallied each time with key partnerships, including 70 runs for the second wicket between Crawley and Ollie Pope, and 121 runs between Root and Bairstow which lifted England from 176-5 to 297-6.
It still looks like an evenly balanced contest with Australia 379 runs behind but boasting the top three ranked Test batters in Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Travis Head.
England were 124-3 at lunch — with 54 singles and 12 fours — and 240-5 at tea. Former England player Kevin Pietersen suggested ‘Bazball’ affected Australia from the get-go.
“They’ve set a field for all the bluff, for all the chat,” the BBC pundit said. “It’s fantastic to see Australia so defensive.”
Australia set mostly defensive fields after losing the toss. Cummins said he would have also batted first.
The strangest dismissal of the day ended another useful partnership for England, this time 51 runs for the fourth wicket between Root and Harry Brook (32).
Brook won’t want to watch a replay of his dismissal, not that he was looking the first time. Lyon bowled Brook when the batter’s thigh pad sent the ball looping into the air and out of his sight before dropping right behind him and spinning back onto the stumps. Brook could only grin before walking off.
Australia earlier gained a psychological edge when Crawley was dismissed by seamer Boland off the last ball before lunch.
Australia chose Josh Hazlewood at the expense of pacer Mitchell Starc and the seamer repaid the vote of confidence by claiming the first wicket of the series with England on 22. Ben Duckett went for 12, caught low behind by Alex Carey.
Brook brought up England’s 150 in the 33rd over with two runs from a would-be boundary against Boland which was athletically stopped by Head right on the rope, drawing cheers from the crowd — not for the stop but Head’s tumbling afterward.
Brook hit another four two balls later as England threatened to go into full Bazball mode with two of its most naturally talented batters. But he had a narrow escape right after when Head dropped a catch at deep backward point after seemingly misjudging how far the ball would carry. That earned Head even more cheers from the crowd.
Bairstow brought up his 24th Test 50 in only his second Test since breaking his leg in a golf-related accident last year.
Ali, who has come out of retirement to cover for injured spinner Jack Leach, showed his allround credentials on his home ground, hitting a rapid 18 with a six and two fours. He was out stumped — very easily so — after advancing down the wicket to try and smash Lyon.
Australia have not won an Ashes series in England since 2001 but they need to only draw the best-of-five contest to keep cricket’s famed urn. England has won 12 of its last 17 Tests with their bold approach under Stokes and coach Brendon (“Baz”) McCullum.
A moment’s silence before the game paid tribute to victims of a knife and van attack in Nottingham, including two cricket-loving students.
