In the first Test of the ongoing Ashes 2023, England faced Australia at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham. After winning the Toss England skipper Ben Stokes opted to bat first and the decision went well with them. The team scored 124 runs in 27 overs before lunch. Opener Zak Crawley scored a brilliant half-century and was dismissed just before lunch.
However, after that former England skipper, Joe Root and young batter Harry Brook batted well and etched a well-made partnership of 51 runs for the fourth wicket. Brook in his innings scored 32 runs off 37 balls with the help of four boundaries before getting bizarrely dismissed by Nathan Lyon.
Lyon retrieved extra bounce and spin by bowling one on good length in the 38th over. Brook displayed no intention of playing, but the ball turned and hit the pads. Nobody knew where it went when it was lobbed up. The ball then fell behind the batter and in front of the stumps, causing the timber to roll back and upset it. This also left commentators in surprise as former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting said, "I've seen many types of dismissals, nothing like this."
Joe Root took care of the English batting
As wickets were falling from the other end, former England skipper Joe Root calmly scored a magnificent half-century and helped his team to keep going. He added 51 runs for the fourth wicket with Brook. Root scored his fifty in 74 balls and batted amazingly. Meanwhile, for Australia spinner Nathan Lyon has been phenomenal as he clinched two wickets. Pacer Josh Hazelwood and Scott Boland also clinched two and one wickets respectively.
Earlier, Australia left fans in shock when they decided to drop Mitchell Starc from the playing xi. Starc who clinched four wickets in the World Test Championship finals against India at The Oval was dropped citing workload management. He was replaced by pacer Josh Hazelwood. Notably, Hazelwood was running out of cricket last year due to constant injuries in the back and toe.
Here is how fans react to Harry Brook's dismissal:
This Brook guy whenever boast himself, didn't perform in next matches. Then IPL, now Ashes
— DK (@CricCrazyDK) June 16, 2023
Ashes has kept test cricket alive … none other series come close
— parody of suresh b (@sureshbtweets) June 16, 2023
Not going watch it whenever I am watching wicket is falling😂😂😂😂
— sampath upadhya (@sampath_upadhya) June 16, 2023
Bro waited for the ball to hit the stumps. How unlucky could he be.
— piyush sharma (@writerpiyush1) June 16, 2023
Lyon get wtks in flat tracks meanwhile
— Swastideep Khuntia (@Twi_Swastideep) June 16, 2023
Indian management
https://twitter.com/AxciemG/status/1669698528925585408?s=20
Meanwhile ashwin crying in corner as he awlays take wickets in asia his name should be dustwin😂😂
— Himank Kohli (@HimankKohli5) June 16, 2023
One of the most unluckiest dismissals u will ever see
— Aravind Srikanth R (@Srikant52499149) June 16, 2023
What a strange dismissal
— Rahul Sharma (@RahulSh24082787) June 16, 2023
Bazzball fuss ho gya lag rha hai
— Shahnad Chaudhary (@Sameer2490) June 16, 2023
Lyon father of Harry brook 💯
— Mustafa (@Mustafa26490781) June 16, 2023