Australia took control on the opening day of the Ashes decider at The Oval, dominating with both bat and ball. Already assured of retaining the urn, Australia are now aiming to win the Ashes on English soil for the first time in 22 years.
England’s Harry Brook fell short of a maiden Test century as Australia seized the advantage. Brook’s quickfire 85 was the highlight of England’s innings, guiding them to a total of 283 all out. However, the 24-year-old should have been dismissed early on, as Australia dropped five catches throughout the day, an unusual occurrence for the team.
Australia, after winning the toss and electing to bowl in overcast and bowler-friendly conditions, managed to restrict England to a modest total. They lost just one wicket in their reply and finished the day at 61-1, trailing by 222 runs. Usman Khawaja was unbeaten on 26, with Marnus Labuschagne on two.
Having already secured the Ashes with a 2-1 lead, Australia now have the opportunity to win the series in England. The last time they achieved this feat was 22 years ago. Winning the toss and bowling, the first objective is to bowl them out, said Australia’s off-spinner Todd Murphy. We created a lot of chances – it would’ve been nice if we could’ve held on to all of them, but it’s a good day, all in all.
Despite being bowled out for 283, England were content with their total. Brook explained the rationale behind his aggressive innings, stating, I know it looks madness when we are out there and scoring quick but we have always had little moments where we have had to rein it in and soak up pressure (against Australia)…If I am just trying to survive I am pretty useless!
Australia started their innings cautiously, but lost opener David Warner for 24 when he edged Chris Woakes and was caught by Zak Crawley at second slip. However, they managed to weather the storm and finished the day in a strong position.
Brook’s innings was the standout performance for England, as he rebuilt the innings during a partnership of 111 with Moeen Ali (34). However, Moeen’s dismissal triggered a collapse in the middle order, with England losing four wickets for just 28 runs.
Mitchell Starc was the pick of the Australian bowlers, finishing with figures of 4-82. Despite some resistance from Chris Woakes (36) and Mark Wood (28), Australia managed to keep England’s total in check.
Australia will be pleased with their bowling display, particularly after dropping several catches. The challenge for England will be to pick up early wickets on the second day to put pressure on the Australian batsmen.
Overall, it was a day dominated by Australia, putting them in a strong position to win the final Ashes clash and secure a series victory in England after 22 years.
