By India Blooms News Service Jul 02, 2023
London, July 1 (UNI) England did exceedingly well to keep the target to 371 as Stuart Broad led the bodyline attack to bundle out Australia for 279 in the second innings on Day 4 of the second Ashes Test at Lords here on Saturday.
Broad picked up four wickets for 65 in 24.5 overs, and Josh Tongue and Ollie Robinson chipped in with two wickets each, besides James Anderson and Ben Stokes grabbed a wicket each.
The injured Nathan Lyon got a rousing reception for putting up a brave front by hobbling into the ground to take guard as Captain Pat Cummings felt that 355 runs lead after the fall of ninth wicket of Josh Hazlewood was not enough for Australia to defend the target in the absence of star spinner.
Lyon had injured his calf and walked to the ground on crutches the last two days.
In the first session, England hit back with three wickets, but Australia managed to extend their lead to 313 runs over the hosts in their second innings.
At lunch, Australia were 225/5 with Carey and Green batting on 10 and 15, respectively. In the first innings, Australia scored 416 runs and in reply, England scored 325 runs, conceding 91 runs lead to the visitors.
Overnight batsmen Khawaja and Steven Smith made runs off run-of-the-mill English bowling in the first half. Broad however struck in his very first over dismissing Khawaja for 77 of 187 balls with 12 boundaries.
Head was dropped first ball by Anderson at widish gully off Tongue, but Smith was caught by Zak Crawley at deep backward square leg on a pull shot for 34.
Head was bounced out by Broad with Root taking a left-handed stunner. Carey and Green faced a barrage of short balls, but survived.
Khawaja was the top scorer with 77, and once the bouncer barrage began, the batsmen could not do much.
Perhaps bored of ducking and dabbing, Green (18) decided to have a crack and opted for the full-blooded pull shot and appeared to have timed it well for a fleeting moment, but picked out Duckett at deep square to absolute perfection off Robinson.
Fending off yet another short-pitched stuff from Robinson, Carey (21) gave a dolly to Joe Root who took a stunner earlier to get rid of Travis Head.
Cummins fended awkwardly on Broads short-pitch ball, but straight into the hands of Duckett at gully for 11. Hazlewood (1) flicked straight to Root at short leg.
Lyon (4) sliced the pull shot off Broad, but it was taken by Stokes. The brave spinner got a pat on his back from Stokes as he limped off the field, while he received a standing ovation from the Aussie players and spectators.