Australia’s Pat Cummins claimed a five-wicket haul on his captaincy debut while Starc and Hazlewood picked two each to bowl out England for 147 on day one of the Gabba Test.
The most storied rivalry in the history of cricket returned on Wednesday, where England and Australia went toe to toe in the first Test of the Ashes 2021-22 at the Gabba. England received a hard reality check on the first day of the tour as the Australian pacers ran riot on a spicy Gabba deck before rain halted the play.
Australia skittled the visitors for just 147 before the Tea. Cummins was the star for the hosts, claiming 5 for 38. Mitchell Starc took 2 for 35 while Josh Hazlewood returned 2 for 38. Jos Buttler top scored for England with 39 in an innings which saw four single-digit scores from the top five.
As it happened, England captain Joe Root made a questionable decision at the toss to bat first with overcast conditions and a greenish surface on offer. As it turned out, they had a disastrous start with Rory Burns getting clean bowled on the very first ball of the series, around the legs by Starc’s swinging delivery as he walked across a bit too much.
Hazlewood struck in his second over, when Dawid Malan (6) nicked a back of a length delivery to the keeper Alex Carey. England had huge hopes from the in-form Root but he couldn’t have done anything to a perfect set-up by Hazlewood as he walked back without scoring. The tall pacer drew him forward with a slightly fuller delivery that seamed away to took an outside edge to the first slip.
The returning Ben Stokes showed some promise but fell to Pat Cummins‘ rising delivery off back of a length on 5 as Marnus Labuschagne took a diving catch at second slip. Haseeb Hameed’s resilience of 75 balls came to an end on 25 when he poked at an outside off fuller length delivery by Cummins. England’s half the side was back in the pavilion for just 60 runs.
Buttler joined Ollie Pope in the middle and showcased his counter-attacking skill set. Without taking any risks, Buttler played some lofted drives and forced Australia to change the field. The duo added a 52-run stand for the sixth wicket but just when they were looking set for a 200+ score, Buttler fell victim to an angled across delivery by Starc on a brilliant 39.
Pope, who looked solid in his knock of 35, soon followed Buttler, trying to hook a rising short delivery by Cameron Green. Hazlewood took an outstanding diving catch running in from fine leg to hand Green his maiden international wicket. Ollie Robinson lasted just three balls as he nicked a textbook Cummins delivery to the keeper.
Chris Woakes hammered three boundaries off Hazlewood in the next over while Mark Wood drove Cummins down the ground in the next. The Aussie skipper switched to short ball tactics and was immediately rewarded as Wood (8) popped a ball to short leg. Woakes was the last man to go, top edging a short delivery to fine leg, where Hazlewood took another terrific diving catch as England folded under 150 in just two sessions.
Cummins became the 14th player in the history and second in the Ashes to pick a five-for in the first game as a captain. Rain after the second session and wet outfield meant that no further action was possible. With four days to go, Australia are firmly in the driving seat.
Brief Scores
England – 147 all-out (Jos Buttler 39, Ollie Pope 35; Pat Cummins 5/38, Mitchell Starc 2/35, Josh Hazlewood 2/38)
