ENG vs AUS 2nd Test: The big match player, Ben Stokes played yet another outstanding knock of 155 runs in 214 deliveries on the fifth day of the 2nd Ashes Test and won hearts of the cricket fans around the globe. However, it went in vain, eventually, as Australia ended up winning the Test match by 43 runs.
Australia needed 6 wickets at the start of the day to win the game but Ben Stokes and Ben Duckett showed great resilience at the crease. Despite Australia troubling England’s batting setup with the movement in the air and bounce, the England duo kept grinding and regularly picked up boundaries.
Ben Stokes soon reached his half-century and helped the team get closer to the target. However, just after the drinks break, Duckett departed off Hazlewood. The short ball ploy aimed towards the southpaw worked in favour of Australia in the end.
Bairstow had struck two boundaries to get off to a good start before he was controversially given out by the umpire, thanks to Alex Carey’s great sense of awareness. Looking at Bairstow leaving the crease early before the ball was declared dead, Carey made a direct hit and Bairstow, thus, had to go back to the pavilion.
The crowd went berserk and it left both Bairstow and Stokes fuming. The English captain, surprisingly, changed to fifth gear and tore apart the Australian bowling attack, thereafter.
Ben Stokes’ 155-run knock went in vain
Stokes exhibited some insane ball-striking as he hit an array of sixes on the leg side. Soon, he reached his century in just 142 deliveries and looked to script a historic win.
Stokes forged a 100-run partnership with Broad and the margin of win was reduced to less than 100. However, just when England reached the 300-run mark, Stokes mistimed one off Hazlewood and Carey did the rest.
Stuart Broad and Robinson departed in the next two overs as Australia needed just 1 win to take a 2-0 lead. The last wicket pair of Anderson and Tongue delayed the inevitable before Stokes uprooted the stumps of the latter. Australia, in the end, won the Lord’s Test match by 43 runs and took a 2-0 lead in the series.
ENG vs AUS 2nd Test, Ashes 2023 Highlights:
Brief scores: Australia 416 (Steve Smith 110, Travis Head 77; Josh Tongue 3-98) & 279 (Usman Khawaja 77, Steve Smith 34; Stuart Broad 4-65) beat England 325 (Ben Duckett 98, Harry Brook 50; Mitchell Starc 3-88) & 327 (Ben Stokes 155, Ben Duckett 83; Pat Cummins 3-69, Mitchell Starc 3-79) by 43 runs.
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