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Australia coach Andrew McDonald backed Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne to rebound from rare twin failures in the opening Ashes test, but said it was a positive sign that his team could still win without getting hefty contributions from them.
It would be advantage Australia during the Ashes as they can play at "different tempos", while England only know how to play "really hard", feels former Test skipper of the touring side Time Paine. Paine, a wicketkeeper-batter, had stepped down as Australia captain days before the last Ashes series at home due to a 'sexting' scandal and was replaced by pacer Pat Cummins as Test skipper. Australia defeated Ben Stokes' England by two wickets in a thrilling Ashes opener at Edgbaston with Cummins scoring an unbeaten 44 and guiding the visitors to victory when things had started to look difficult.
Despite a two-wicket setback against Australia, England head coach Brendon McCullum feels the first Ashes Test "validated" his team's aggressive strategy and expects his side to "go a little harder" in the second Test at Lord's next week. England scored 4.61 runs per over and targeted Australia's bowlers from the first ball when Zak Crawley smacked Pat Cummins through the covers for four. However, Australia won the match on the last day by scoring 3.20 runs per over across the five days and consistently posting defensive fields.
The thrilling first Ashes Test match between England and Australia ended in the favour of the Pat Cummins-led side on Tuesday by two wickets. Playing in Birmingham, the visitors held their nerves as Cummins (44*) and Nathan Lyon (16*) stitched an unbeaten partnership of 55 runs and took their side across the line in the chase of 281. Cricket is considered as the gentleman's game but sometimes the intensity of the contest makes the players lose their cool on the field. An example of that was seen during the match when Australia opener Usman Khawaja engaged in an exchange of words with England pacer Ollie Robinson.
England coach Brendon McCullum insisted he had "no regrets" about his side's tactics after a stunning two-wicket loss to Australia in the first Test at Edgbaston.
England coach Brendon McCullum said the opening Ashes test "validated" their attacking approach despite the two-wicket defeat at Edgbaston and that they would be even more aggressive in the second match of the series.
Australia captain Pat Cummins led from the front as the visitors defeated England by 2 two wickets in a thrilling first Ashes Test to go 1-0 in the five-match series. With Australia chasing a target of 281, Cummins put a strong rearguard, alongside Nathan Lyon, to take his team across the finishing line. Cummins hit an unbeaten 44 while Lyon put on a defensive masterclass with his 28-ball 16 not out on Day 5. On Day 3, England pacer Ollie Robinson had blasted Australia for being "too defensive", and took a dig by saying that the visitors have "three No.11s" in Scott Boland, Lyon and Josh Hazlewood.
Australia and England produced another nerve-wracking duel in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston earlier this week. After choosing to bat first, England captain Ben Stokes declared the first innings late on Day 1 at 393/8 with Joe Root still at the crease on 116. In reply, Usman Khawaja hit a brilliant 141, but England bowlers pulled it back to give their side a narrow first innings lead of seven runs. The hosts then aggregated 273 runs in the second innings, giving Australia a 281-run target to win the first Test.