England skipper Ben Stokes shocked everybody by declaring the innings in the direction of the tip of Day 1 within the first Ashes Test and he was as soon as once more the subject of intense debate as he handed the ball to Harry Brook on Day 2. Brook shouldn’t be a daily bowler however Stokes went for that choice as he wished to check Steve Smith with a slow-ish medium tempo bowling. Brook bowled only one over and conceded one run however his introduction into the assault prompted hilarious comment from the commentators.  “What is going on here?” Ponting mentioned whereas talking on Sky Sports Cricket. Former English skipper Michael Atherton was fast to give you an excellent response. “This is Bazball!” Atherton replied.

England captain Ben Stokes captured the prize wicket of Australia star batsman Steve Smith after Stuart Broad caught twice in two balls within the first Test at Edgbaston on Saturday.

Australia had been 78-3 at lunch on the second day, nonetheless an enormous 315 runs behind England’s first-innings 393-8 declared, a complete constructed on Joe Root‘s unbeaten 118 — the previous skipper’s first Ashes hundred in eight years.

Broad diminished Australia to 29-2 within the seventh over of Saturday’s play after eradicating each David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne, the world’s top-ranked Test batsman, with successive deliveries.

In the drawn 2019 Ashes in England, left-handed Warner had averaged a meagre 9.50 in 10 innings and was dismissed seven instances by Broad.

Stokes had mentioned earlier than this match that Broad’s report towards Warner had been a consider his choice for the primary of this five-match collection and the 36-year-old seamer but once more proved to be the opener’s nemesis.

Warner had fought arduous for a rating of 9 on an overcast morning favouring England’s quicks when he contributed to his personal dismissal by chasing a large ball outdoors off from Broad and inside edged into his stumps.

The roars that greeted Warner’s exit turned deafening subsequent ball when Labuschagne fell for a golden duck.

He edged a pointy Broad outswinger that was brilliantly caught one-handed by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, diving low to his proper in entrance of Root at first slip.

There had been a lot debate forward of the Ashes over whether or not Bairstow ought to maintain wicket as an alternative of Ben Foakes.

But having made a run-a-ball 78 in England’s first innings, this catch additionally highlighted Bairstow’s high quality behind the stumps.

Smith survived the hat-trick supply and it appeared each he and opener Usman Khawaja (40 not out) would get by way of to lunch regardless of Stokes ringing the modifications in his assault.

Stokes’s bowling health had been known as into query by a longstanding left knee harm, however the energetic all-rounder struck when he rapped Smith on the again foot with a nip-back ball.

Marais Erasmus took his time earlier than giving Smith out lbw and the batsman, unsurprisingly, known as for a assessment.

But replays upheld the skilled South African umpire’s resolution and Smith, whose twin centuries within the corresponding Ashes opener at Edgbaston 4 years in the past powered Australia to a 251-run win, was out for 16 to the raucous delight of the group.

(With AFP inputs)