Ashes 2023:Riding on the masterclass batting from Usman Khawaja and a heroic knock from the captain Pat Cummins on the final day, the Australian cricket team defeated England by a 2-wicket win at Edgbaston. Australia chased down a target of 281 runs with just 27 balls remaining to take a lead of 1-0 in the ongoing 5-match Ashes 2023 series.
Australia takes a lead of 1-0 in Ashes 2023
Australia started Day 5 at 107 for 3 after rain played spoilsport once again and delayed the start of play, washing out the first session entirely. England pacer Stuart Broad picked up where he left off on Day 4 as he provided his team with the first breakthrough by dismissing Australia’s nightwatchman Scott Boland. The in-form Travis Head was the next batter in, but he couldn’t make it big and was dismissed after scoring only 16 runs.
Usman Khawaja then stitched a crucial 49-run stand with Cameron Green and went on to complete his 22nd half-century in Test cricket. However, soon Green was dismissed after scoring 28 runs off 66 balls, hitting two boundaries.
Later, Pat Cummins played an instrumental role in Australia’s thrilling victory, hitting an unbeaten 44. He stitched an unbeaten partnership of 55 runs for the ninth wicket with Nathan Lyon (16*) to take his side home in the chase of 281.
Meanwhile, social media has been buzzing with reactions to the amazing win by Australia. From cricketers and experts to fans, everyone is hailing the brilliant performance of the Australians in the just-concluded 1st Test. There were many who came up with hilarious memes.
Check out some of the best memes:
Well played Australia 👏🏽😅 #Ashes2023 pic.twitter.com/Rq8ykZwJ8L
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) June 20, 2023
From losing in 2005 by 2 runs to winning in 2023 by 2 wickets, Australia have finally won at Edgbaston#Ashes2023 pic.twitter.com/MsbQedlKu1
— Vinesh Prabhu (@vlp1994) June 20, 2023
https://twitter.com/133_AT_Hobart/status/1671342517219119104?s=20
https://twitter.com/superking1816/status/1671219015853965312?s=20
I will say this
While I have never been a fan of the Aussies, I find it hard not to like Pat Cummins#Ashes2023 pic.twitter.com/rLfXuE1vOh
— Werner (@Werries_) June 21, 2023
Australia deflate the Bazball hype in an Ashes thriller 🚘📌#Ashes2023 pic.twitter.com/4b7CA6Lx0x
— Sport360° (@Sport360) June 20, 2023
https://twitter.com/YasirKhan779/status/1671398460707454976?s=20
Hahaha, Cummins scoring the winning runs from the bowling of Robinson. Gee, don't want to bring politics into sport, but that's going to piss a few people off!! 😂#ashes2023
— Rohan Connolly (@rohan_connolly) June 20, 2023
Meanwhile, after leading his side to a narrow 2-wicket win over England in the Ashes 2023 opener, Australia skipper Pat Cummins described the win as the pinnacle of his Test career so far.
Talking about the win, Cummins said: “Number one. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Start of an Ashes series. Number one.”
Notably, Australia was at the receiving end of a heartbreaking one-wicket defeat t against England at Headingley and Cummins was relieved to be on the right side this time around. He said:
“Yeah, I would be lying if I said it didn’t (cross my mind). We were on the other side of one in the last series here. When you’re on the other side, it feels like one that’s got away and it really hurts,”
He added: “It’s a really happy dressing room in there. A lot of those guys were there at Headingley, and to clinch one that was perhaps out of our grasp for a little while there is pretty satisfying.”
