3 things Australia need to do to take control of 5th Ashes 2023 Test on Day 2

Australia dominated Day 1 of the fifth and final Ashes 2023 Test at The Kennington Oval in London on Thursday. Bowling first after winning the toss, they bowled out England for 283 in 54.4 overs, coming up with a highly impressive effort.

Left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc conceded 82 runs in 14.4 overs, but he was also the most successful bowler, picking up four scalps. He cleaned up England captain Ben Stokes (3) with a beauty and went on to add the wickets of Harry Brook (85), Stuart Broad (7), and Chris Woakes (36).

Apart from Starc, Josh Hazlewood (2/54) also chipped in, claiming the big wickets of Joe Root (5) and Jonny Bairstow (4). Further, young off-spinner Todd Murphy (2/22) also impressed on his comeback to the playing XI, cleaning up Moeen Ali (34) and Mark Wood (28) with smart deliveries.

Australia undoubtedly dominated the opening day of The Oval Test. We look at three things the visitors need to do to take control of the game on Day 2.

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#1 Australia should not lose too many wickets in the first session

Marnus Labuschagne (left) and Usman Khawaja (Pic: Getty Images)

After bowling out England in 54.4 overs, Australia did very well to lose only one wicket before stumps. Openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja added 49 runs in 16.5 overs. The former would have been disappointed to be dismissed for 24, edging one from Woakes to slip.

While the Aussies would have ideally wanted all their wickets in hand, they would have taken 61/1 in 25 overs at the start of the day. Australia will resume their first innings with Khawaja unbeaten on 26 and Marnus Labuschagne on 2.

Australia should now look to build on the great platform on Day 2 of the contest. They need to ensure that they don’t lose early wickets in the first session. If that happens, England will be right back with the game. And we have all seen how dangerous they can be once they smell blood.

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#2 Find an efficient way to deal with Wood and Woakes

Chris Woakes (left) and Mark Wood share a joke. (Pic: Getty Images)

The most intriguing aspect of play on Day 2 of The Oval will be how Australia’s batters deal with the lethal duo of Wood and Woakes. While Broad is the leading wicket-taker for England in Ashes 2023, it goes without saying that Wood and Woakes have made a big difference for the hosts in the bowling department after coming into the contest in the third Test.

Wood ran through Australia’s batters with figures of 5/34 in the first innings of the Headingley Test. His performance proved to be the defining spell of the game that England went on to win by three wickets. Australia’s lower order had no answer to Wood’s fiery pace as he ripped through the tail.

On the other hand, Woakes got the ball to move in both innings and bowled probing lines, finishing with six wickets in the match. It was a case of déjà vu in the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester as Woakes claimed his first Ashes five-fer in the first innings, while Wood picked up three of the five wickets to fall in the second.

Australia were in dire straits in the Test, but the rain helped them escape with a draw and, in the process, retain the urn. While Woakes sent back Warner on Day 1 at The Oval, the Aussies survived managed to survive five overs from Wood without losing a wicket.

Both bowlers would go hard at the Australian batters on Day 2, knowing they have the psychological edge. The visitors will have to find an efficient manner to deal with Wood and Woakes, or else they could find themselves in trouble again.

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#3 Batters need to convert starts into big scores

Can Steve Smith come up with a big knock? (Pic: Getty Images)

This is one area Australia have struggled because two of their key batters, Labuschagne and Steve Smith, have failed to get going. Both batters have registered one ton each in Ashes 2023, but their overall numbers have been underwhelming, particularly considering their potential and experience.

Smith has managed 248 runs from eight innings, while Labuschagne, who is unbeaten on 2, had 306 runs from eight innings heading into the final Test. A lot more was expected from the duo. Not just Smith and Labuschagne, but a few of the others have also disappointed.

If we look at Australia’s scorecard from the first innings in Manchester, there were way too many middling scores. Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh made 51 each, Travis Head contributed 48, Smith 41 and Warner 32. They cannot expect to win Test matches with such half-hearted batting efforts.