What happened on Day 1 of 2nd ENG vs AUS Ashes 2023 Test at Lord’s?

Steven Smith (85* off 149), Travis Head (77 off 73), and David Warner (66 off 88) starred with the bat as Australia reached an impressive 339/5 by stumps on Day 1 of the second Ashes 2023 Test against England at Lord’s on Wednesday, June 28.

England won the toss and sent Australia into bat under overcast conditions on a pitch that had enough grass on it. However, they failed to utilize the conditions as Aussie batters played with resilience and also rode their luck.

The visitors got off to a solid start as their openers added 73. Warner began in ominous fashion, punching James Anderson through covers for four in the first over. There was some early drama, not cricket related, as some protesters invaded proceedings. Jonny Bairstow lifted one of them and deposited him outside the boundary line!

Coming back to cricket, Usman Khawaja could have been dismissed in the fifth over, but Joe Root dropped a tough low chance after Anderson produced the edge with a full delivery that shaped away late. Following a rain interruption, Warner too was dropped on 20 as his nemesis Stuart Broad once again induced an edge with one that shaped away after pitching in the channel. Ollie Pope at fourth slip, however, put down a pretty simple chance.

Warner brought up a much-needed half-century in style, hooking Josh Tongue (2/88) for a six over deep square leg. It was the England pacer, however, who produced the breakthrough for the hosts at the stroke of lunch. Khawaja (17 off 70) left a length ball outside off, but the delivery nipped back sharply to strike the stumps.

Tongue also ended Warner’s resistance in the second session. The England fast bowler got one to rip through the Aussie left-hander’s defense as the ball nipped in sharply and crashed into the stumps. Familiar foes Smith and Marnus Labuschagne (47 off 93) then thwarted England, adding 102 for the third wicket.

Both batters were adjudged out by the on-field umpire but got the decisions overturned using DRS. In the 33rd over, after smacking Broad for consecutive fours, Smith was caught behind on 24. However, replays clearly showed there was no edge.

In the England pacer’s next over, Labuschagne hammered him for three fours. Broad thought he had his man on 33 when he struck Labuschagne on the back leg with one that jagged back. However, the Aussie batter also got the lbw decision overturned.

In the next over, the 42nd of the innings, Smith reached 9000 Test runs by flicking Ben Stokes for a boundary. Australia went to tea on Day 1 at 190/2. It needed a brute from Ollie Robinson to end Labuschagne’s resistance. The England pacer got one to nibble away off the seam and found the edge.

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Head-ache for England as Australia presses the accelerator

There was no respite for England after Labuschagne’s exit as Head came in and batted in ‘Bazball’ style. He got his innings underway by depositing a loose ball from Robinson through cover-point for a boundary.

Head kept cracking boundaries at ease even as Smith worked his way to another hard-fought half-century. The left-hander himself brought up a 48-ball fifty by pulling Tongue to the deep square leg boundary. Smith also joined the fun as the duo brought up an entertaining century stand off only 104 balls.

Against the run of play, Head was stumped. He looked to take on Joe Root but was completely beaten in flight and turn by the underrated part-time spinner. The Aussie left-hander’s enterprising knock featured 14 fours.

Root made it two in the over as Cameron Green (0) sliced a short-of-length delivery towards mid-off. The twin strikes gave England something to cheer on an otherwise disappointing day.