Ashes HIGHLIGHTS, ENG vs AUS 1st Test Day 5: Australia beats England by two wickets, Cummins shines with 44 not out at Edgbaston

“Not going to lie, I was absolutely s***ing myself for the last five minutes there. It’s so heart-wrenching. An unbelievable game. I watched 2005, stayed up late. We had Stokesy play an unbelievable innings last Ashes, but this is definitely one of my favourite Test matches. I was watching it in the changing room on a delay, I had to stay there. (Personal contribution) It’s right up there, an Ashes, I’ve had some hard times here. The ebb and flow, no one had the game until the end. One of my favourite Tests. Tough work but nice to get off to a good start on this one. Four more Ashes Tests left.”

Robinson drops the ball once again and Cummins nearly chips the ball to Pope at short-leg on the full. Thick outside-edge to deep third for FOUR from Cummins and Australia beats England by two wickets! Redemption for Edgbaston ‘05 is complete!

Short ball from Broad and Lyon mistimes a pull just past Pope at short-leg for a single. 50-run partnership between Cummins and Lyon! Broad targets Cummins ribs and he lets the ball onto his pad sans the bat. Cummins pushes the ball to mid-on for a single. He retains strike. Australia needs 3 to win!

Australia, one hit away. Robinson continues to send in the bumpers to Cummins. Cummins attempts to make room but Robinson sends in a yorker. He manages to dig it out. Maiden! Australia needs 5 to win.

Broad continues to beat the outside-edge with the scrambled seam. Cummins even lauds Broad’s incoming delivery. Broad gestures the crowd to get behind him. He slides one in and Cummins flicks it to mid-wicket for a single. Another delivery angling in and Lyon nonchalantly pumps it in over mid-on for FOUR. A single to follow. Cummins shuffles across and clips the last ball for a single and retains strike. Australia needs 5 to win!

Robinson continues to employ the slower-short balls. Lyon gets off strike with a single. Robinson attacks the stumps and Cummins prods forward with a solid defence. Robinson slides one in and hits the pads. Leg bye for Cummins. Runs being ticked off quietly. England does not have much to play with now. AUS needs 12 to win.

Broad continues. Short ball first-up and Cummins taps it down. Fuller delivery, Cummins pushes it to cover and sets off on a quick single. Broad overpitches and Lyon drives the ball towards mid-off. Beaten! Late inward movement and Broad beats Lyon’s outside-edge. Broad moves one in and Lyon flicks it through mid-wicket for a single.

Robinson continues. Cummins drives the first ball to cover for a single. Robinson strays to the pads and Lyon flicks the ball down to fine leg for a single. IN THE AIR and Cummins lofts the ball Pope at cover and Crawley fumbles in the deep to concede FOUR runs! Cummins keeps strike with a single.

New Ball taken! Broad to continue. Broad attacks the off-stump and he gets some extra bounce almost immediately. BEATEN! Broad tempts Lyon to waft his bat away from his body in the channel and rushes the ball past the outside-edge. Broad overpitches and Lyon drills the ball down the ground for FOUR past mid-off!

Robinson replaces Root. Slower-bouncer from Robinson and Lyon brushes it towards Bairstow on the bump Short outside the off-stump and the ball deflects off Lyon’s helmet past Bairstow for a bye. Slower-bouncer and Cummins deftly pushes the ball through cover and reels in two runs.

Broad returns to the attack. He continues with the old ball! IN THE AIR AND DROPPED - STOKES NEARLY PULLS OFF A BLINDER! Short ball from Broad and Lyon mistimes the pull to Stokes at mid-wicket. He leaps towards his back and nearly holds onto a one-handed screamer. Cummins attempts to make room and nearly slices the ball towards Anderson at point. Streaky! Short from Broad and Cummins slams the ball through point for FOUR! Stokes and Broad have a chat before the last ball of the over. Short ball and Cummins taps it towards cover, no runs.

Last hour of the game begins. Root continues with the old ball. In the slot and Cummins bludgeons the ball down the ground for SIX. Short ball and Cummins punches it through cover for two runs. In the slot and Cummins smokes the ball once again for SIX over long-off.

Meanwhile at the break, relive a pivotal moment in the game.

Stokes continues. Lyon taps the first ball to fine leg for a single. Cummins attempts to make room to slap down the ground but Stokes follows him with the bumper. Length to follow and Cummins taps the ball to cover. Another slower-length ball and Cummins pushes it to cover and sets off on a quick single. Stokes makes ground and relays a throw at the non-striker’s end and sends Cummins on his feet as well. Drama, drama.

Root continues with the old ball. Root to Carey, OUT! The decision to stay on with the old ball works! Carey steps out and pumps a length ball straight back to Root and he hangs onto it this time! Nathan Lyon is in at 10.

Alex Carey c & b Root 20 (50b 2x4)

New ball is due in six deliveries. Stokes continues to fiddle with his pace as he attacks Cummins’ stumps. He sends in a bumper and Cummins ducks underneath it.

Root slides one in and Carey goes for the paddle-sweep for FOUR. A single follows. Fraction short from Root and he beats Cummins’ outside-edge beside the off-stump. A single to end the over.

Stokes continues to vary his pace and confound the batters. Cummins bends low to keep the deliveries off his pads. Just a single off the over.

Root tosses one up and Cummins slams the ball down the ground for FOUR. Cummins attempts to heave one across the line and nearly finds the mid-on fielder on the full.

Slower-ball from Stokes and Carey gets an under-edge and nearly chops one on! A leg bye to follow. IN THE AIR and Cummins survives. Short from Stokes and Cummins mistimes the pull just over Pope at mid-wicket. In the slot and Carey clears his front leg to pump the ball over mid-off for two runs.

LOUD APPEAL as Root slides one in to seemingly hit Carey as he rocks back to cut. Erasmus is unmoved but England reviews. Pad first on replays but wickets missing as the ball slides down leg. Carey attempts to charge and slap the ball down the ground but Stokes rallies in from mid-off to deny a run. DROPPED! In the slot and Carey clobbers the ball straight to Root. The ball goes in and out of his grasp towards cover.

England and the crowd applies the pressure on Australia. Stokes goes for the stumps but Cummins drops his guard to dig them out. Three maidens on the trot.

Carey attempts a reverse-sweep off Root but he misses and England is briefly interested about a review. Maiden.

Short and wide from Stokes. Khawaja slaps the ball through cover but Pope puts in a superb dive to restrict the batters to a single. Stokes to Khawaja, OUT! Bowled him! It’s the MIRACLE MAN again! Slower-cutter from Stokes and Khawaja has a late feel for it outside the off-stump and drags it back to the stumps. He falls for 65 off 197 balls. England inches closer to the finish line.

Usman Khawaja b Stokes 65 (197b 7x4)

Ben Stokes to bowl for the first time in the second innings. Loosener angling in and Khawaja flicks the ball to square-leg for a single. Stokes lines one in to Carey’s pad and the batters reel in a leg bye.

Moeen drops short and Carey handsomely whacks the ball through mid-wicket for FOUR. Moeen tosses one outside the off-stump and Carey drives through past cover and Robinson gives chase from long-off to deny a boundary.

Usman Khawaja is the first visiting opening batter to face more than 500 balls in a Test in England since South Africa’s Neil McKenzie (536) in 2008. Only six visiting batters have ever achieved the feat.

Robinson to Green, OUT! Dragged on. Late inward movement for Robinson and Green attempts to cut from outside the off-stump but ends up chopping it back to the stumps.

Cameron Green b Robinson 28 (66b 2x4)

Root floats the ball outside the off-stump and Green drives the ball to long-off for a single. BEATEN! Root tosses one up and finds prodigious turn to beat Khawaja’s blade

Robinson into the attack. Robinson comes around the wicket to Khawaja who defends the ball to mid-off. Back-of-length delivery and Khawaja pulls the ball in front of square for a single. Robinson finds an outside-edge off Green to third for a single.

Final session of the Test match. Stokes leads his boys back to the field. Khawaja and Green return to the field.

Khawaja and Green see off Root’s over to lead Australia to TEA.

Australia needs under a hundred runs to win now. Low full toss from Robinson and Green punches it to mid-off for a single.

Anderson continues to cramp up Green with tight lines. Fuller delivery and Green pumps the ball over mid-off for FOUR.

Anderson bangs in short and Green rocks to his back foot to punch the ball through the cover for two runs.

Short from Moeen. Green rocks back to push the ball past mid-off for a single.

Short ball from Anderson and Khawaja pulls it behind square for a single and gets his second FIFTY of the match.

Anderson tempts Green with a couple of fuller deliveries. He shows restraint and leaves the balls on length.

Low full-toss from Moeen and Khawaja belts it through mid-wicket for FOUR. Another short ball and Khawaja nearly mistimes a pull towards mid-on.

Moeen goes full and straight and Green leans forward to defend. Green is content with the forward block and plays out a maiden.

Moeen Ali is back with the ball. He starts with a loose short ball and Head rocks back and slams it over mid-wicket for FOUR. Wdth on the off-side and Head punches through cover and finds two runs. Loopy delivery outside the off-stump and Head slices it through third for FOUR. Moeen to Head, OUT! Edged and GONE! A beauty from Moeen! Angling in and a hint of turn from middle-and-leg and Head concedes a thick outside-edge to Root at first slip. Cameron Green is in at 7.

Travis Head c Root b Ali 16 (24b 3x4)

Broad bangs one in short and Head gets a streak top-edge over Bairstow for FOUR. Length ball from Broad and Head attempts to swipe it through the on-side but finds Stokes at square-leg

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Broad starts with a short ball and Head attempts to make room for a swat down the ground but mistimes it - no harm done. Short to the ribs and Head swivels to pull the ball down to fine leg for a single. Loose delivery on length and Khawaja drives through cover but fails to get past the fielder. Broad comes around the wicket and attempts a slower yorker and Khawaja survives by getting an inside-edge on it to fine leg for one run. Broad is on his knees in disbelief.

Robinson comes over the wicket to Khawaja and sprays one across the line to Bairstow. A no-ball to follow as Robinson oversteps. Robinson continues to hit the length and Khawaja nicely lines up behind the ball to defend.

Robinson into the attack. He comes around the wicket to Head who misses out on a few length balls, finding the cover fielder. A fine beam of sunshine adorns the field now. Head drives another delivery to cover.

Broad continues. Stokes tightens his field for Boland. Forward short-leg and silly point in place. Broad to Boland, OUT! The plan works. Broad overpitches one this time and Boland nicks one to Bairstow off the drive. Travis Head is in at 6. A slew of short balls welcome Head. He rises on his toes to tap them to the off-side.

Scott Boland c †Bairstow b Broad 20 (40b 2x4)

Anderson pitches full and Khawaja digs the ball out to cover off the blockhole. Slower ball, swinging in and Khawaja drives it to cover. No run. Another maiden.

Broad continues to pitch fuller to Boland who leaves patiently. Straighter this time and Boland digs it out. Late inswinger from Broad again and Boland takes his front leg and leaves the ball as it moves past his stride. A hint of room and Boland cuts the ball to the gully fielder. Solid block and Broad bowls out another maiden.

Stuart Broad is in to bowl the next one. The ball bounces lower than Boland anticipated, he tries a backfoot defense but it takes an outside edge and runs away between slips, three runs off it. Five dots on the trot to complete the over

The covers are off and the battle begins. James Anderson will start with the ball. Usman Khawaja (36 n.o) and Scott Boland (13 n.o) are at the middle. Two runs off that over

Minimum overs left: 67

Australia to win: 174 runs

England to win: 7 wickets

The skies have eased out and the pitch cover has been removed as the umpires make their inspection.

Covers are coming off and there will be an inspection at 1:20 PM local time.

Lunch will be taken at 5 PM IST and the day is only likely to resume at 5:40 PM IST at the earliest, provided the rain stays away.

Rain continues to pelt down in Birmingham and it’s likely stay for another two hours or so before we receive a five-hour window for the game.

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Stuart Broad revived England’s hopes of winning an enthralling opening Ashes test with a superb late burst just when Australia appeared to have taken the upper hand on Monday.

After bowling England out for 273 just before tea on the fourth day, Australia set about ITS 281 victory target in serene fashion but ended the day wobbling on 107 for three.

Australia’s opener David Warner and first innings centurion Usman Khawaja looked rock-solid in putting on 61 before Warner edged a beauty from Ollie Robinson having made a fluent 36.

With England off-spinner Moeen Ali struggling with a cut hand, Broad then returned for a second spell to swing the momentum back towards the host.

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Whipping the raucous crowd into a frenzy, he had world number one test batsman Marnus Labuschagne caught behind for 13, having removed him for a duck in the first innings.

Steve Smith (6) then edged another Broad delivery into the waiting gloves of England keeper Jonny Bairstow.

Khawaja, who scored his first century in England in the first innings, remained unbeaten at the close on 34 with night watchman Scott Boland on 13 not out.

Rain is expected early on Tuesday before drier conditions and, with Australia requiring a further 174 runs and England needing seven wickets, a draw looks a remote possibility.

- Reuters

Day 5 of the first England vs Australia Ashes Test match will be shown live on Sony Sports Network from 3:30 PM IST.

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