Picture Credit: Twitter
Although it's been a Test match full of ups and downs- the Ashes opener at the Gabba in Brisbane- for the neutral spectators it has been a great game of cricket. Veteran India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin even feels the match could go into the most happening Day 5 in an Ashes Test if England win the opening session on Day 4.
Despite being bowled out for just 147 in the first innings after opting to bat first and later allowing the hosts to make 425, the Three Lions are starting to find their way back into the match thanks to an unbeaten-159 run stand between captain Joe Root and Dawid Malan. The duo has taken England to 2 down for 220 runs with the visitors now trailing only by 58 runs with 8 wickets in hand.
After Root and Malan-led England fightback, Ashwin said: "It’s all happening at the Gabba and could well be the most happening 5th day if England can trump the first session tomorrow. #ashes."
Here is his tweet:
Earlier, England fast bowler James Anderson was benched for the first Test despite having no injury concerns. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) insisted that the decision to not play Jimmy in the first Test is part of the 39-year-old pacer's workload management. England want their pace spearhead to be ready and absolutely raring to go for the pink-ball Test in Adelaide next week.
It was already being speculated that the third-highest wicket-taker in Tests would not play all the five-Test matches on the trot with he himself saying that perhaps three of those five games could be a realistic aim to achieve. The rest will obviously be down to how many overs he bowls and how his body responds.
The decision could also have been taken keeping in mind, Anderson's record, which is not too good at the Gabba, the venue for the first Test where he has taken just seven wickets in four matches, averaging 75.14. This is in sharp contrast to Adelaide where he has scalped 16 wickets at an average of 29.50.