Cricket News: 5 reasons why Australia won the Lord’s Test | Opinion: How Australia won the second Ashes Test
Josh Hazlewood described Lord’s as a “week off” from the banter hurled at visiting Australian teams. For four-and-a-bit days, that was the case as Australia took control of the Test. But, in a twist synonymous with Ashes games, the game sprung into life off the back of one moment.
Alex Carey’s stumping of Jonny Bairstow had the Lord’s crowd riled up in unprecedented fashion. The trademark hum around the home of cricket quickly disappeared, with boos and abuse ringing around the ground and in the coveted Long Room where Usman Khawaja was involved in an up-close-and-personal exchange with one member.
The incident also lit the fuse inside Ben Stokes, with the champion all-rounder going on a rampage reminiscent of the classic Headingley Test four years ago. Anxiety piled up in the hearts of every awake Australian fan, hoping that history wouldn’t repeat itself. Australia were on the back foot, couldn’t get enough deliveries at Stuart Broad, and you would have been forgiven for thinking Stokes could end things quickly.
However, England fans’ hearts were broken at the start of the 73rd over. Needing 70 for victory, Stokes miscued a shot up in the air, snapped up gleefully by Carey at point. From there, England’s tailenders tried their best, but the target was too steep.
5 reasons why Australia won the 2nd Ashes Test at Lord’s
The dismissal put an end to England’s hopes of another remarkable victory. Instead, they travel to Headingley 2-0 down. And, truth be told, most of it is from their own doing. Here are five key reasons why Australia won the Lord’s Test.
1. England’s first day bowling
Much has been made of Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal as a factor in the final result. However, England were their own worst enemy on the first day. After a lacklustre opening two sessions, which sparked intense criticism from Kevin Pietersen, England further conceded the advantage of bowling first in helpful conditions by feeding Travis Head width.
In case England’s bowlers haven’t watched Australia’s number five over the past two years, that’s his strength.
It was Josh Tongue, in just his second Test, who showed up his far more experienced teammates. Australia flew to 316/3, with two soft dismissals against Joe Root giving England something to cling on to heading into day two. However, they found themselves having to play catch up when conditions were in their favour.
2. Steve Smith’s glorious 32nd Test century
Steve Smith equalled the great Steve Waugh’s 32 Test centuries in 69 fewer matches. It is a remarkable feat for a player who continues to have an insatiable hunger for runs.
Much is made of “intent” in cricket. It was Smith who exemplified it to perfection in tricky conditions, defending and leaving the ball well before pouncing on anything just off the right line or length.
His 110 set the platform for Australia. A 400+ total after being sent in to bat is always a strong result, despite the team’s collapse of 7/100 which gave the feeling they left a few runs out in the middle.
3. Brainless England batting
England’s brainless batting on days two and three cost them dearly. Cruising at 181/1 with Australia having lost their premier spinner Nathan Lyon to a serious calf injury, the hosts looked in a strong position to surpass 416 and put serious pressure on Pat Cummins’ team in the third innings.
However, what followed was nothing short of extraordinary. Australia set fields with multiple men out on the hook asking England to swing at every short-pitched delivery, of which there were plenty. They obliged, gift-wrapping their wickets one by one and surrendering the advantage.
The whole innings puts the BazBall style of play under the microscope. They were unable to play the situation, hell-bent on showing their intent only by boundaries instead of seeing out the short-ball attack and forcing Australia to rethink their plans without a premier spinner to hold things up from the other end.
Kevin Pietersen this time defended England, saying it is difficult to simply ask the players to duck short deliveries bowled at 90mph. However, there was no attempt to do so, especially when the fields made it so obvious those short deliveries were coming.
Ben Stokes produced one of the great knocks in the fourth innings, but there was too much to do in the end, particularly after Bairstow’s lack of concentration hurt the team dearly.
4. Australian top order contributions in challenging batting conditions
Much has been made of David Warner’s record in England. However, this tour has been a more fruitful one for him. Despite the opener not making the big runs, he has ensured Australia have got off to a good start more often than not, which was the case at Lord’s with twin half-century stands alongside Usman Khawaja.
Speaking of Khawaja, he continues to grind England down. He has now faced 775 deliveries in this series, 329 more than the next best – Ben Stokes’ 346.
The raw pace of Mark Wood could test Australia’s lineup in the coming games as England look to get back in the series. However, expect the Australians to continue fighting hard with a short turnaround sure to test England’s resolve in a must-win game if the hosts are to keep their Ashes hopes alive.
5. Magnificent new ball bowling to dent England’s run chase
The Australian seamers stepped it up a notch in Lyon’s absence. The opening burst by Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc on the fourth day is without a doubt the best period of bowling this magnificent series has seen to date.
Starc’s delivery to Ollie Pope is every left-armer’s dream and exactly why he was selected. Cummins gave Harry Brook a taste of what Joe Root experienced in 2019, soon after he dismissed the latter with a snorter of a delivery taken by Warner at slip.
That period of play is a great source of encouragement for the Australians. While Ben Duckett had a great Test match, England’s top three does often leave plenty for the middle-lower order to do. If they can find movement and consistency at Headingley, the Ashes may very well be retained with two games to spare.
