The Ashes have got off to a brilliant start, with the first test match of the five-match series ending with a nail-biting finish. Both teams had their chances to win the game. England need three wickets, while Australia still have 70 more runs to chase.
Ben Stokes did something unexpected on the first day of the Ashes series. He made a bold decision and declared the first inning at 393/8 with Joe Root still unbeaten with 118 runs. However, it didn’t end well.
Australia strongly replied with 386 runs in their first inning, which made many former cricketers and cricket pundits question Stokes’ decision to declare early. England did end with a 7-run first inning lead, but the hosts couldn’t make it big in their second inning. They were bundled out for a score of 273 runs in their second inning.
As a result, Australia got a target of 281 runs to win the first test and make a move in the highly-anticipated Ashes series. Though the rain played a spoilsport at the end of the fourth day and also interrupted the start of Day 5.
On the other hand, Ben Stokes’ brave captaincy has certainly impressed former South African star AB de Villiers. He took to his Twitter account to praise England’s new approach and also compare it with MS Dhoni’s approach during the IPL 2023.
He tweeted, “The way England played now makes sense. Call it what you want, some say Bazz Ball, I just think it’s smart Cricket. The best teams are prepared to adapt and play situations in a way that’ll ultimately put them in a winning position more often than the rest. That’s how I see the Eng team play atm. Also saw that with MSD and co. in the IPL.”
I never looked at the Birmingham weather leading up to this Test match. The way England played now makes sense. Call it what you want, some say Bazz Ball, I just think it’s smart Cricket. The best teams are prepared to adapt and play situations in a way that’ll ultimately put…
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) June 20, 2023
