AUSTRALIAN skipper Pat Cummins has steered his side to an epic two-wicket victory overnight in the opening Test of the 2023 Ashes series at Edgbaston. Known for his exploits in the bowling discipline, Cummins was the hero with bat in hand, finishing unbeaten on 44 alongside spinner Nathan Lyon (16*).

The visitors were set 281 for victory in the fourth innings, and required 174 runs on the final day. It would be a rain interrupted chase, however, with 31 overs and over two hours of playing time lost during an all too typical weather delay in the morning session.

It proved an ample timeframe to hunt down the runs, with Cummins’ glide to third man beating Harry Brook on the rope to eclipse England’s total with under five overs left to play. Raucous and instantly iconic scenes ensued, effectively putting the ghosts of Australia’s 2005 loss at the same venue to bed.

Cummins and Lyon came together with their side 54 runs in arrears, changing the momentum of the game by taking it to England’s bowlers, who had otherwise done a remarkable job at strangling a tense Australian batting order.

Earlier, nightwatchman Scott Boland absorbed an early onslaught from Stuart Broad and James Anderson, though it only left maimed tweaker Moeen Ali to cash in with the day’s opening wicket. Travis Head never got going and became Broad’s third victim of the innings, leaving Australia 5-143.

With around about half the score left to get, Cameron Green (28) and Alex Carey (20) helped trickle the total past 200, but both fell on either side of Khawaja to leave Australia’s unlikely heroes to finish the job from way back.

For all Cummins and Lyon’s all-round feats, Khawaja was deservedly awarded Player of the Match honours for his combined 206 runs, top-scoring in both of Australia’s innings and peeling off a memorable 141 in the first.

Cummins made 82 with the bat and took a crucial 4-63 to restrict England’s second innings, while Lyon’s eight wickets only further exemplified his class as one of the world’s premier spinners. For England, Broad (six wickets) and Joe Root (164 runs) were the biggest factors.

Much of the discourse around the result will bring into question Ben Stokes‘ decision to declare at eight down in the first dig on day one, as well as England’s stubbornly renegade approach during its second batting innings, which it was largely in control of at one point.

Nonetheless, Bazball remains very much alive and helped produce one of the more stunning Ashes Tests in recent history. The second Test gets underway on June 28 at Lord’s in London, while the opening Women’s Ashes fixture – a standalone Test – begins on Thursday.

SCORECARD

RESULT: Australia (386 & 8-282) def. England (8d-393 & 273) by 2 wickets
POTM: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
TOSS: England won the toss and elected to bat.

1st Innings: England 8d-393 (78.0)

Joe Root 118* (152), Jonny Bairstow 78 (78), Zak Crawley 61 (73)
Nathan Lyon 4-149 (29), Josh Hazlewood 2-61 (15), Cameron Green 1-32 (6)

2nd Innings: Australia 386 (116.1)

Usman Khawaja 141 (321), Alex Carey 66 (99), Travis Head 50 (63)
Ollie Robinson 3-55 (22.1), Stuart Broad 3-68 (23), Moeen Ali 2-147 (33)

England led by 7 runs.

3rd Innings: England 273 (66.2)

Harry Brook 46 (52), Joe Root 46 (55), Ben Stokes 43 (66)
Pat Cummins 4-63 (18.2), Nathan Lyon 4-80 (24), Josh Hazlewood 1-48 (10)

England led by 280 runs.

4th Innings: Australia 8-282 (92.3)

Usman Khawaja 65 (197), Pat Cummins 44* (73), David Warner 36 (57)
Stuart Broad 3-64 (21), Ollie Robinson 2-43 (18.3), Ben Stokes 1-9 (7)

Australia won by 2 wickets.