Ashes HIGHLIGHTS, ENG vs AUS 1st Test Day 1: Australia 14/0 (4 overs) trails England by 379 at stumps; Root hits 30th hundred

Robinson attempts to attack the off-stump but the ball keeps low and Khawaja does well to keep it out from the wicket. Neat solid defence and we move into STUMPS. Australia trails by 379 runs.

Four!! Another drive through the covers for Warner. Races away to the boundary. Just the four runs of the over.

Warner and Khawaja walk in to open. England looking for a breakthrough late in the day. Around 10 overs of scheduled play left in the day. Broad to open the bowling for England.

A couple of mix-ups from the batters looking for a quick single, but no damage done. Four!! Warner drives the last ball of the over through the covers for four.

Root’s on the charge. He smashes Lyon for two sixes and a FOUR before England declares! This is some incredible mindset. Aussies vs Bazball, Day 1 goes to the host?

Lyon offers room and Root rocks back to guide the ball through cover point for two runs. Lyon strays to the pads. Root flicks it to the deep for a single. Robison gets Root back on strike. On 99 now. Test Hundred No. 30 for Joe Root!

Lyon continues. Robinson does well to hold his end firmly and ably gives the strike to Root. Three from the over.

Green to Broad, OUT! Bowled. Wild swing across the line and Green gets the ball hit the top of off. Ollie Robinson is in.

Stuart Broad b Green 16 (21b 2x4)

Lyon lines one in and Root is operating smoothly over the reverse-sweep now. Another single takes him to 92. Broad does well to get behind the line of the deliveries to save his stumps. Short from Lyon and Broad slaps it through mid-wicket for FOUR.

Length from Cummins and Roots reverse-laps him for SIX! Root moves to 89. This is some other-worldly confidence.

Lyon to Moeen, OUT! Beauty from the offie. Slower through the air, tempting Moeen for a wild swing and he turns the ball sharply away from middle stump towards the off-stump. Another easy stumping for Carey. Stuart Broad is in at 9.

Moeen Ali st †Carey b Lyon 18 (17b 2x4 1x6)

Cummins comes around the stumps to Moeen. Classic Mo! A hint of room and Moeen smears the ball through point for FOUR. Cummins switches sides. Quick bumper and Moeen elegantly swivels to time the ball over the square-leg fence for SIX, regal!

300 up for England shortly after Moeen offers Cummins a tough catch in his follow-through.

Lyon slides one in and Bairstow guides it down to fine leg for another FOUR. Lyon to Bairstow, OUT! Foxes him with a quicker ball. Bairstow preempts and steps out. Lyon sees it coming as well and darts it in. Easy stumping for Carey and Australia bags one against the run of play . Moeen Ali is in at 8.

Jonny Bairstow st †Carey b Lyon 78 (78b 12x4)

Hazlewood drills the ball on the forward an Bairstow pummels it through cover for FOUR. Edged and Dropped! A tough chance for Carey! Thick outside-edge from Bairstow and it flies sharply past Carey’s full-length dive to his right. Bairstow piles on the misery as he swats a short ball behind square for another FOUR.

FIFTY for Bairstow off just 58 balls. That’s a fine comeback so far for the England wicketkeeper. Lyon drifts one in and Bairstow steps outside the off-stump and creams the ball through mid-wicket for FOUR. Lyon comes around the wicket and sprays one outside the off-stump and Bairstow makes room to loft the ball over extra cover for FOUR.

Boland loads one to the fuller length and Bairstow eases into a superb cover drive for FOUR. Boland attempts to cramp him up but Bairstow neatly tucks it away and reels in two runs.

Chopped on, nearly! Boland finds the inside-edge from Bairstow first ball after Tea and it trickles down to the fine leg fence for FOUR. In the slot and Root brings out a reverse-scoop foran audacious SIX!

Back for the final session of the day. Can England add another 100-plus runs from this session?

Just the two wickets in the session but England has gotten around the recovery act with some speed, led by Root’s half-century. And that’s TEA,

Root attempts a reverse-sweep and it hits him on the glove. Australia is interested for a review but it rules in favour of England as Lyon’s delivery hits the edge of Root’s blade. Lyon tosses one up again and Root attempts another reverse-sweep and sends it for FOUR.

Lyon gives a hint of air and Bairstow clears his front leg and hits it over the mid-off for FOUR.

Short and wide from Green and Bairstow slashes the ball behind point for FOUR.

Most Test fifty-plus scores (active cricketers):

• 88* - Joe Root
• 68 - Steve Smith
• 61 - Kane Williamson
• 59 - David Warner
• 56 -Virat Kohli
• 54 - Cheteshwar Pujara
• 53 - Angelo Mathews
• 50 - Dimuth Karunaratne

FIFTY for Joe Root off 74 balls! 59th Test fifty for the English master. Green overpitches and Bairstow wallops the ball through extra cover for FOUR.

Cam Green into the attack. Fine line of attack first-up from Green. Just a single from the over.

Short ball and Root slams Hazlewood through mid-wicket for FOUR. A couple of runs to follow before Hazlewood finds his grip again.

Hazlewood to Stokes, OUT! Is that an edge? Umpire Erasmus raises his finger and the Aussies are pumped. Hazlewood angles one across the turf and Stokes has a wild swing through the covers. England reviews. Clear spike on the UltraEdge and Stokes has to depart!

Jonny Bairstow is in at 7. Hazlewood shapes one in and hits high on Bairstow’s pads and Australia is going for a review. Wickets missing as the ball soars past leg-stump. Bairstow survives.

Ben Stokes c †Carey b Hazlewood 1 (8b)

Lyon to Brook, OUT! How did that lob back to the stumps? Extra turn and bounce from Lyon climbs on to Brook’s waist. The ball pops up and springs back and it hits the stumps when everyone had lost sight of it. Ben Stokes is in at 6. Lyon goes for the stumps and Stokes lines up well to defend two balls. Stifled appeal as Stokes goes for a reverse-sweep and misses the ball altogether.

Harry Brook b Lyon 32 (37b 4x4)

First maiden of the innings as Hazlewood sharpens his lengths to Brook. He mixes up his lengths and ends up with a fine landing in the blockhole, neatly dug out by the batter.

50-run partnership between Root and Brook in just 54 balls. Brook and Root continues to disrupt Lyon’s lengths with a lot of movement around the crease.

Hazlewood into the attack. He overpitches and Root crunches the ball past mid-off for FOUR. Travis Head is having a tough time in the deep as Root cuts the ball to deep backward point and a sloppy slide fails to stop the ball on its way for FOUR.

Boland continues. 150 up for England as Brook beats a squarer third with a late cut for FOUR. Length from Boland and Brook charges through and smokes the ball over extra cover for another FOUR. IN THE AIR AND DROPPED! Brook slashes a wide delivery to deep backward point and Travis Head runs in and pops one out of his grasp.

Lyon wafts another one in and Brook attempts to step out and pump it past mid-off but Cummins’ dive negates a boundary. Root negates the lengths with a squarer reverse-sweep for more runs.

Lyon floats one outside the off-stump and Brook steps out and slogs the ball over extra cover for FOUR. Short ball and Brook rocks back to cut the ball quickly past Smith at first-slip for two runs. A single to follow.

A slew of singles and yet Boland maintains his lines outside the off-stump to trouble the batters. The last ball keeps low as Root prods forward to defend.

A single for Brook. Root goes for an audacious reverse-sweep and Lyon pings one to pad from around the wicket. Loud shout but the umpire denies a leg before.

Brook’s off the mark with a single. Fuller ball and Root taps it back to mid-off.

Scott Boland will resume his over, having removed Crawley before the break. Harry Brook’s in at 5.

Jaffa from Boland. LOUD SHOUT and Australia goes for a review as the ball rushes past Boland’s outside-edge. Big spike on the UltraEdge as Boland gets one to spring up sharply from length to clip the gloves on the way to Carey. And it’s Lunch - 124 for three in the first session!

Zak Crawley c †Carey b Boland 61 (73b 7x4)

Lyon skims through another over as Root and Crawley subtly rotate strike with a slew of ones and twos.

Cummins continues to rotate his bowlers but the batters have maintained a proactive forward movement against the seamers. Boland continues to tail the ball in and Root hits it out to sweeper cover for two runs. A single to follow. Beaten! Peculiar release from Boland as the ball cuts the inner-half of Crawley’s bat on the way to Carey.

100 up for England as Crawley whacks Cummins in front of square for FOUR, with an air of disdain.

Joe Root walks in at 4. FIFTY for Zak Crawley. Six boundaries in his lovely innings so far and he reaches the mark off just 56 balls. First runs for Root as he taps Cummins past gully for a single.

Lyon strays to the pads and Crawley advances to guide the ball through mid-wicket for two runs. Crawley moves to 49 with another single. Another loopy delivery from Lyon and Pope dances down the track and thumps the ball past the bowler for FOUR.LOUD SHOUT as Lyon hits the pads from around the stumps. The umpire is unmoved but Cummins reviews. THREE REDS! Pope has to depart.

Ollie Pope lbw b Lyon 31 (44b 2x4)

Cummins returns. He tails the ball in and Crawley nimbly flicks it behind square for two runs. Cummins overpitches and Crawley drives past short cover for a single.

Boland drops short and Crawley slaps the ball behind point for FOUR. Beaten! Boland pitches one in the fifth-stump line and the ball rears up sharply to beat Crawley’s blade.

Lyon manages to find some drift and turn from the surface. Pope and Crawley briefly drop anchor while nudging about the gaps for singles.

Crawley continues to dish out his cracking strokes at regular intervals. Another half-tracker from Boland and he wallops the ball through cover for FOUR.

CLOSE! Lyon gets one to cut in from length from around the stumps. Crawley errs by moving onto the backfoot to cut and barely survives with some wood on the ball.

Boland continues to attack the stumps but Pope interestingly lunges forward and out to defend the ball. Pope taps another ball with a proactive slice to third for a single - 50 up for England. Carey comes up to the stumps. Length ball from Boland and Crawley slams the ball through cover for another FOUR. Classic.

Nathan Lyon replaces Hazlewood. Lyon tosses one in from around the wicket and Pope reverse-sweeps to deep third for one run. Lyon switches sides. He loops one in and Crawley drills the ball through extra cover for FOUR.

Scott Boland into the attack. Boland overpitches and Crawley leans into a drive for two runs. BEATEN! Boland rushes one in and whizzes the ball past Crawley’s outside-edge.

Short from Hazlewood and Pope cuts the ball to third, quite close from his body, for FOUR. He finishes the over with two runs.

Edged and the ball does not carry to slip. Cummins needles in around the off-stump and Crawley’s outside-edge falls just short of Smith at third-slip. A single to follow.

Hazlewood continues to employ a probing line, removing room as much as possible. Crawley and Pope employ a sturdy defence while reeling in the odd single.

Cummins hits the deck and Crawley taps it towards square-leg for a single. Cummins attempts to move another in and Pope rocks back to work another ball through mid-wicket for one run. Australia is content conceding the singles at the moment.

Close! Hazlewood finds a sharp inside-edge from Duckett past the keeper for FOUR. Hazlewood to Duckett, OUT! Edged and taken! A tinge of extra bounce from length as Duckett hangs out his blade. Good low catch from Carey there. Ollie Pope is in at 3. Fiery delivery from Hazlewood as he moves one in over the off-stump.

Ben Duckett c †Carey b Hazlewood 12 (10b 2x4)

Cummins lines one up to the thighs and Duckett flicks it square on leg for two runs. Similar line and Duckett times the flick perfectly this time to find FOUR runs. Short ball down leg and Duckett guides the ball to third for one run.

Josh Hazlewood from the opposite end. A low-intensity first ball to the pads and Crawley flicks it through mid-wicket for FOUR. Hint of room and Crawley slaps the ball towards deep point for a single.

Pat Cummins to open the attack. Crawley on strike. A gully, three slips and mid-wicket in place.

Cummins sprays the first ball outside the off-stump and BANG! Crawley creams it through cover for FOUR. Better line of attack outside the off-stump and Crawley leaves it on length. Cummins tails one in and Crawley tucks it towards mid-on and sets off on a quick single.

Aussies get in a huddle chat before dispersing out on to the field. England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley walk out to the middle.

Sir Alastair Cook walks out to place the urn. Both teams will wear black armbands on day one as a tribute to victims of a stabbing and van attack in Nottingham. The players line up for the national anthems.

Conditions are looking just in favour for the English batters but Australia have made an interesting call by roping in Hazlewood in place of Starc. How do you counter the lines of Hazlewood and Boland?

England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson

Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cam Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland

TOSS: England wins toss, opts to bat

Ben Stokes: We’ll bat first. Looks a great cricket wicket. Very proud to be here with all the hype around, very special moment for me and the team. It has been tough at times with the energy, but that has been something we are good at in the past. Happy to have Mo back, unfortunate injury to Leachy. I’ve seen Mo produce some great performances in the past, we know what he can bring to the team.

Pat Cummins: We’d have batted as well. One change, Mitch Starc out, Hazlewood comes in. Tough call, Starc was really good last game but good to have someone like Hazlewood come in. Tough to manage the workloads, but that is a good problem to have. Good preparation to win the WTC final, we went into that fresh and we are now eager to go. England will come at us, but that’s okay.

Early visuals from the ground are suggesting that Mitchell Starc may miss out on a spot in the Australia XI. Looks like Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland will lineup behind Cummins.

Wicketkeepers: Jonny Bairstow

Batters: Steve Smith (c), Travis Head, Joe Root, Marnus Labuschagne

All-rounders: Ben Stokes, Cameron Green

Bowlers: Pat Cummins, James Anderson (vc), Stuart Broad, Scott Boland

Team Composition: ENG 5:6 AUS Credits Left: 7.5

The Ashes, played between Australia and England, is one of the oldest, biggest and fiercest cricketing rivalries. There have been 340 matches played so far in the series in which Australia has won 140, England 108, while 92 have resulted in a draw.

The origin of this historic rivalry began when a young London-based journalist wrote a satirical obituary after visiting Australia defeated host England by seven runs during the one-off Test in the 1882 tour. It was the first time England had lost at home.

The mock obituary in the Sporting Times read: “In affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at The Oval, 29th August, 1882. Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances, RIP. NB - The body will be cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia.”

What is the history of the Ashes? Story of cricket’s oldest rivalry

The Ashes, played between Australia and England, is one of the oldest, biggest and fiercest cricketing rivalries. There have been 340 matches played so far in the series in which Australia has won 140, England 108, while 92 have resulted in a draw.

Steve Smith is expecting to encounter some “funky things” during the Ashes as England looks to unsettle the batter who delivered one of the all-time great performances when Australia last came over in 2019.

Australia’s Steve Smith expects England to unsettle him with ‘funky’ approach in Ashes

Steve Smith is expecting to encounter some “funky things” during the Ashes as England looks to unsettle the batter who delivered one of the all-time great performances when Australia last came over for a test series.

Australia captain Pat Cummins tipped a “different” David Warner to win his personal duel against Stuart Broad and dominate England’s bowlers in the Ashes series beginning at Edgbaston on Friday.

Australia’s Cummins predicts a ‘different’ Warner in Ashes

Australia captain Pat Cummins tipped a “different” David Warner to win his personal duel against Stuart Broad and dominate England’s bowlers in the Ashes series beginning at Edgbaston on Friday.

England captain Ben Stokes insists there will be no let-up in his side’s dynamic ‘Bazball’ approach during the Ashes series against arch-rivals Australia.

Ashes 2023: Stokes vows no let-up in attacking approach against Australia

Stokes was adamant that England had no plans to modify its style against Pat Cummins’s powerful side during the five-match series, which starts in Birmingham on Friday.

England

Ben Stokes (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Mathew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Australia

Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner

English cricket’s “Bazball” revolution is about to get its ultimate test.

The Ashes — the most famous Test cricket series of them all — is here once again and the five matches between England and Australia could be among the wildest since the first one was played in 1882.

Under captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, whose nickname is “Baz,” England has gone all-out attack and won 12 of its last 17 Tests. Always chasing a win — even at the risk of losing — England has not been defeated in a series over the past year. It’s a remarkable turnaround in form for a national team which had won just one of its previous 17 Tests before the Stokes-McCullum partnership was formed.

It has reached the stage where England’s players will chase quick runs and fast wickets or adopt aggressive field placings whether they’re playing a cricket minnow or the world champion.

In Australia, they are taking on just that: The newly crowned world Test champion.

And the message from the Australians, who beat India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s on Sunday? Bring it on.

“I said it initially when ‘Bazball’ started, that I’m intrigued to see how it goes against our bowlers,” Australia batter Steve Smith said. “They’ve obviously done well against some other attacks but they haven’t come up against us yet. It’s been exciting to watch, I’ve enjoyed watching the way they’ve played and the way they’ve turned things around in the last 12 months, but we’ll wait and see how it comes off against us.”

AUSTRALIA

Meanwhile, Australia’s bowling resources could hardly be stronger, with Scott Boland — a revelation since his Test debut in the last Ashes series — adding to a stock of fast bowlers containing captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. Hazlewood should be fit for the start of the Ashes despite a side injury sustained in the Indian Premier League, but maybe there’s no need to rush him back given Boland’s form.

In Marnus Labuschagne and Smith, Australia has two of the top three batters in the world Test rankings and Travis Head appears able to play “Bazball” as well as England. David Warner will hope to do better against Broad, who dismissed the left-handed opener seven times in 10 innings in the 2019 Ashes series.

Day 1 of the first England vs Australia Ashes Test match will be shown live on Sony Sports Network from 3:30 PM IST.