Ashes: Australia neutralised England’s fireplace with their ice-cool angle in first Test, says R Ashwin

By India Today Sports Desk: Veteran India off-spinner R Ashwin reckons Australia neutralised England’s fireplace with their ice-cool angle to win the primary Test and take a 1-0 lead within the five-match Ashes sequence at Edgbaston. Ashwin stated ‘ice-cool’ Australia defeated England’s Bazball by sticking to traditional cricket, in accordance with the off-spinner.

After declaring at 393/8 on Day 1, Ben Stokes’ England set Australia a 281-run goal. When Australia slumped to 227/8, the hosts seemed to be in command, however Australian captain Pat Cummins stepped up and shared an unbeaten fifty-run partnership with Nathan Lyon to seal a memorable two-wicket win. The off-spinner additionally defined why Bazball backfired for England within the first Test by shedding mild on the drastic change in English pitches over the past two years.

“England were fire. Australia were ice. Australia neutralised England’s fire with their ice-cool attitude (in Ashes opener). Firstly, the origin of Bazball: Till a couple of years back, England had pitches full of life. The ball used to seam all over the place. Batters struggled, except for Joe Root,” Ashwin stated on his YouTube channel

“So, they decided. If we give pitches like this, it’s going to be tough. So

, let’s give batting pitches and increase the tempo, score runs fast, and give bowlers more time. England did it successfully.”

Ashwin additionally defined why Australia dominated England within the first Ashes Test, saying that chasing has develop into simpler in England over the past two years. Ashwin reckons Australia had been all the time within the sport because of the batting-friendly circumstances within the first Test at Edgbaston. He described how England efficiently chased 378 towards India in 2022 on the similar venue.

“India went to the last (rescheduled fifth) Test at Edgbaston, they were successful (chased 378). (They) did it in Pakistan, did it (at home( versus Ireland and South Africa. In the last two years, fourth-inning chases in England have become possible. Look at Cummins and Lyon! It has become an imaginable thing. Previously, 250+ chases in the fourth innings were incredibly difficult,” Ashwin additional stated.