Ashes 2019: England vs Australia, 1st Test , Day 1 - Report

Steve Smith made a heroic return to Test cricket as he single-handedly bailed Australia after England dominated the morning session of the first day of the first Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Struggling at 35 for three, Smith scored an excellent century to help side post 284 runs on the first day.

England sent their regular openers – Jason Roy and Rory Burns to negate the final two overs of the day. Australia couldn’t find any breakthrough as the English posted ten runs for no loss in two overs before the onfield umpires called it for the day.

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Previously, Australia came to this game with less top-order problems than their counterpart England. But they had their job cut out against James Anderson who swung the ball while it seamed for Stuart Broad. It brought Broad Warner’s wicket, which if reviewed, would have been not out. The ball was going down the leg-side, missing the stump bringing to an end of a bizarre period for umpiring. Cameron Bancroft’s wicket came off a leg cutter from Broad right after he struck the English seamer for a four. Usman Khawaja fell to Chris Woakes soon after the first drinks break, the wicket coming off another review.

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Since then, Steven Smith and Travis Head got together for an unbeaten 48-run stand that seemed to be going from strength to strength. In the meantime, Anderson left the field with a tightness of the right calf. But England bounced soon after lunch with Woakes bowling from over the wicket and getting deliveries to cut in severely. He removed Head and Mathew Wade – with both wickets coming off reviews. What made it worse for Australia was Stuart Broad following up Woakes’s wickets with two of his own, putting him on the verge of a famous five-for. He struck twice in the space of three deliveries, first bouncing out Tim Paine and then getting James Pattinson with a full one. Had Pattinson reviewed the decision, it would have gone in his favour just like David Warner.

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Ben Stokes piled up more worries to Australia as he redeemed his poor spell this morning with Pat Cummins’s wicket in his first over the third session. Struggling at 154 for eight, Steven Smith showed his brilliance on the comeback match to continue Ashes record. He partnered Peter Siddle to add 88 runs for the ninth wicket to revive his side from danger. Siddle showed grit and determination to contribute with 44 crucial runs as Australia crossed the 200-run mark. Although Siddle departed, Smith continued his greatness to bring his 25th Test hundred fighting the hostile crowd along with the brilliance of English seamers. Finally, Stuart Broad managed to get the better off the former Australia skipper to restrict the visitors to 284 runs to claim a five-wicket haul.

Brief Score: Austra 284 (Steve Smith 144, Peter Siddle 44) Stuart Broad – 5/86, England 10/0 (Jason Roy 6*). England trail by 274 runs.