Australia beat England in the first Ashes Test of the 2021-2022 season at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday (December 11), taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. England are missing a number of crucial players due to injuries, which might jeopardize their chances of winning the series. Aside from that, veteran pacer James Anderson was ruled out of the series opener. Despite this, England fought hard against Australia in the opening match but they were beaten in the second session on day four. Let's look at the first match report of the AUS vs ENG Test series 2021.
First Match Report: AUS vs ENG Test Series 2021
The Gabba ground in Brisbane hosted the opening Ashes match of the AUS vs ENG Test series 2021. Prior to the match, Australia were a slight favorite due to England's injury issues. The host took advantage of the situation and won the first match of the series.
England captain Joe Root opted to bat first, was looking for a huge first-inning total. However, the batters fell short of expectations and were bowled out for only 147 runs. Fiery pacer, Mitchell Starc got Australia off to a flying start with a first-ball strike. Opener Rory Burns misread the ball and was clean bowled by Starc. England lost three more wickets in the first innings, leaving them at 59/4 at lunch.
Read:Anamul wishes a national comeback relying on performance
England's only big partnership (52) came between Jos Buttler (39) and Ollie Pope (35) for the sixth wicket in the first innings. However, England's innings crumbled when they left. Australia's captain Pat Cummins was the most successful bowler, taking the most wickets with five.
In response, Australia surpassed England's first-innings total by one wicket. David Warner (94) and Marnus Labuschagne (74) put up a 156-run partnership in the second wicket. Later, Travis Head almost single-handedly carried Australia's innings with a stunning 152-run knock. It was his first Ashes century, and more crucially, the knock contributed to his team's victory in the match.
Australia were bowled out for 425 runs in the first session of day three. England began their second innings with a 278-run deficit, and the visitors sought a comeback with a 162-run partnership between skipper Joe Root (89) and Dawid Malan (82). However, their efforts were in vain as the Australian bowlers fought back with determination in the opening session of day four. They bowled England out for 297 runs and only lost one wicket in chasing down the 20-run target.
Read:Tigers set to leave for New Zealand tonight
Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon took the most wickets in the second innings with four. He also took his 400th Test wicket in this encounter.
Player of the Match
Australian middle-order batsman Travis Head was the unsung hero of the first Test match. His magnificent 152-run first-innings effort helped Australia to a commanding lead against arch-rivals England. Travis Head was rightfully named the best player of the match.
Way Forward
England pushed hard in the second innings to make a comeback after getting bowled out for a low total in the first innings. However, Australia's first-inning lead was too much for England to recover. Therefore, England were unable to establish a significant lead and put Australia under pressure in the run chase. Australia have opened their account in the ICC Test Championship's 2021-2023 cycle with this victory.
On the other hand, England have dropped to the sixth position with only 14 points. The second match of the AUS vs ENG Test series 2021 will take place at the Adelaide Oval from December 16. In the second match, Australia will seek to increase their series edge, while England will attempt a comeback at the Adelaide Oval.