Ashes 2019: 1st Test – Smith masterclass, Broad’s 5-fer highlight Day 1
After a few months of chaos which heavily centred around the shorter formats of the game, Test cricket again took centre stage. The most high-profile rivalry in the longest format resumed at Edgbaston in Birmingham with interest at a sky-high level. The crowd upped the ante a notch and the action was intense as cricket of the highest quality was on display. But it was Steve Smith who walked away with the glory at the end of the day. His sheer grit and determination saw the Aussies mount an astounding comeback. Reeling at 122-8, Australia ended up with a competitive score of 284 on the board. Smith’s comeback century knock of 144 was certainly an emotional occasion for him and the entire team with the hostile reception by the crowd only made the moment more surreal.
Here we take a look at Smith’s century and other talking points from Day 1 of the Test:
A Steve Smith masterclass
The name itself is enough. Steve Smith looked edgy. He was fidgeting around the crease. That was a sign of danger. No one questions the steely character which he possesses. And he made sure that by the end of the day, all the headlines would centre around him. His innings could be divided into two halves. The first one saw him grinding it out. As soon as he started running out of partners, he started to up the tempo and found brilliant support from Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon. As soon as he reached the triple figures, almost breaking down in tears, he activated T20 mode, going after the bowlers. It was a masterclass in timing an innings and a welcome return to Test cricket for one of the best in the world.
Also read: From Bradman to Pietersen – Five most memorable Ashes series
Concerns about the batting department
While Smith’s brilliance will paper over the cracks, questions still remain over Australia’s batting department. Although the pitch did provide some assistance to the seamers, there were no demons in it. The Australian batsmen failed to show discipline in their batting and looked underprepared to counter the seaming delivery. Siddle’s resilence further showcased how poor some of the batting by the Australians had been. The batters will have to up their game take a leaf out of Smith’s playbook to ensure that their summer in England does not turn out to be a nightmare.
Broad brings up a milestone but mystery lingers over Anderson
The English seamers bowled brilliantly for most parts of the day. But by the end, when Smith was going all guns blazing, there was a clear weariness in their body language. They were hampered by the injury to their spearhead James Anderson, who could only complete four overs. Question marks still remain over the extent of Anderson’s stiff calf and his availability for the remainder of the Test. A bowler short, the three pacers – Broad, Woakes and Stokes had to toil throughout the day. Broad and Woakes were highly effective for two sessions before the energy was sapped out of them. Yet, it was a landmark day for Stuart Broad who not only ended with a five-wicket haul, but also achieved the milestone of picking 100 wickets in the Ashes.
