The Ashes 2023 got underway on Friday (June 16) with the first Test at Edgbaston. And one can say that it began on the expected note. The cricketing world was eagerly waiting to see the contest between England’s ‘bazball’ approach and Australia’s formidable bowlers.
And the start was quite fascinating as Zak Crawley did not hesitate at all in playing a stunning cover drive on the very first ball of the game. Not many were expecting England to play aggressively against the likes of Pat Cummins and Co. However, the bazball is all about taking the aggressive approach and Crawley did exactly that.
On the other very first ball of the match, Crawley received a full and wide delivery from Pat Cummins. Usually the openers leave the ball and get themselves set before playing away from the body. However, Crawley did not hesitate in playing a fine drive through extra cover for a boundary.
Ben Stokes’ reactions to Zak Crawley’s four:
As Zak Crawley hit the four on the first ball, the cameras turned towards the English dressing room and Ben Stokes’ reaction said it all. While the staff member sitting beside him started clapping, Ben Stokes looked pleasantly surprised. While the England skipper was sporting a smile on his face, his facial reaction made it clear that even he was not expecting such a start to the game.
Here is a clip of the moment:
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We were all Stokesy there…
Live clips/Scorecard: https://t.co/TZMO0eJDwY pic.twitter.com/rUEOIO7onJ
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 16, 2023
Talking about the game, England suffered an early setback when Josh Hazlewood dismissed Ben Duckett in the fourth over. However, Crawley and Ollie Pope have steadied the ship for the hosts. At the time of writing this report, England were on 61 for 1 in the 13th over.
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