AUS vs ENG: Mark Taylor Believes Ben Stokes Made Usman Khawaja And David Warner Look Like Schoolboys With Early Declaration

Former Australia captain Mark Taylor defended England captain Ben Stokes’ decision to declare the innings early on the opening day of the first Test in the ongoing Ashes series. Mark Taylor believes that Ben Stokes made the right decision, but they didn’t get wickets on Day 1.

Ben Stokes declared their first innings at a score of 393 runs, despite Joe Root being at the crease with an unbeaten century of 118 runs. The England skipper made an early declaration to put Australia into bat in the last 20 minutes of the day’s play at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

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Were Running Like They’d Never Batted Before Together – Mark Taylor

Mark Taylor pointed out that Australian openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja appeared to be in a state of panic while running between the wickets.

“Ninety-nine percent of captains would take 400 in the first innings, so now Stokes is thinking, ‘I can put Warner and Khawaja under pressure for 25 minutes.’ To me it’s a no-brainer. I thought it was a brilliant declaration,” Taylor told Mike Atherton in The Times.

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“They didn’t take any wickets in that final 25 minutes but did you see the running between the wickets from Warner and Khawaja that night? Panicky.

They have played cricket together since under-14s but were running like they’d never batted before together. A couple of 36-year-olds, one with more than 100 Tests, one with nearly 70, and they are running like they’ve never played before. All because of that declaration,” he added.

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You Have To Take Some Accountability – Mark Taylor

Mark Taylor criticized England’s batting approach in their second innings on Day 4, stating that batters got out while playing rash shots.

“You don’t have to bring the opposition back into it; there’s nothing wrong with batting Australia out of the game. People may say that’s conservative but I don’t think it is. Just play appropriately,” he further stated.

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“Joe [Root] didn’t look like getting out; he played a rash shot and you have to take some accountability for that. That’s the time England got a bit carried away,” he concluded.

The England team started their campaign in the five-match Ashes series with a two-wicket loss in a nail-biting encounter in the first Test. The Ben Stokes-led team will lock horns with Australia in the second Test at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London starting on June 28.

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