"But instead of letting it come to a juddering halt, the 22 players somehow managed to conjure a fresh acceleration. It is implausible for something as anticipated as this not to produce disappointment, as anyone who follows England knows far too well. Those memories will have flooded miserably back when Zak Crawley nicked the sixth ball of the day to slip."
"His wicket marked the start of not only the sudden whoosh of optimism leaking from the English balloon, but of a day of 19 wickets, bowling of impeccable quality (with exceptions) and absurd entertainment. Brydon Carse described England as relentless and there are occasions when even the most weary of cynics has to acknowledge that there is something special about the mentality of a side that consistently refuses to see failure when they can instead glimpse opportunity."
"There is a strong argument that Ben Stokes should have made a different choice at the toss and immediately unleashed his barrage of fast bowlers at Australia's openers, an out-of-sorts Usman Khawaja approaching his 39th birthday and a 31-year-old debutant in Jake Weatherald. As it turned out, his decision did not delay that moment for long, the tourists bowled out for 172 inside 33 overs."
After sixteen months of escalating hype, the Ashes momentum threatened to stall but the players generated a renewed surge. An early Zak Crawley dismissal initiated a day of 19 wickets dominated by high-quality bowling and unexpected drama. England's attack, led by relentless pace, repeatedly produced wicket maidens, with Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson striking decisively. Ben Stokes's choice at the toss drew critique, yet the decision did not prevent Australia being bowled out for 172 inside 33 overs. The performance required no margin for error and showcased a team mentality that seeks opportunity rather than accepts failure, producing intense entertainment.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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