Pat Cummins-led Australia pulled off a thrilling two-wicket victory over England in the Ashes 2023 series opener at Edgbaston on Tuesday (June 20) which gave them a 1-0 lead in the five-match encounter. When the chips were down at 227/8 and the Australian batters surrendered before the English bowlers, it was Cummins who paired up with Nathan Lyon and won the game for the visitors. Australia, who were handed a 281-run target, began a rain-delayed Day 5 on 107/3. But wicket kept tumbling and the match went to the wire. The dazzling duo of Cummins and Lyon stitched a match-winning partnership of 55 runs off 72 balls for the ninth-wicket with Cummins and Lyon chipping in with 44 off 73 and 16 off 28 respectively.
Australia had the last laugh in the Ashes 2023 series opener but the debate around the approach from both sides is still on which has already seen umpteen cricket pundits commentating on it. While some thought England's ‘Bazball’ backfired and cost them the match, some said Pat Cummins was little defensive in his approach, especially with his captaincy decisions.
Meanwhile, former Australia skipper Tim Paine quashes all those opinions and said that both teams played as per their strengths. He also went on to say that there were certain double-standards in narratives over both teams.
“I thought it was pretty much as I expected to be honest. I think Australia were always going to set slightly what you can call defensive fields if you like. I think they were no different really to Ben Stokes,” Paine said on SEN podcast ‘Whateley’.
Paine also took a dig at Stokes and said that just by making some funky fields all of a sudden he has become a genius. While Australia who placed a couple of fielders on the boundary suddenly become defensive.
“Ben Stokes and England make some funky fields and all of a sudden it's genius. Australia put a couple of people on the fence and all of a sudden it's defensive. I think there were some clear strategies from both sides, whether it was attack or defense,” Paine added.
Earlier, in the post match presentation English skipper Stokes had put things straight and said he did not regret declaring England's first innings on 393-8 on the first day.
"We always want to try and take the game forward," he said. "We want to try and seize opportunities where we think we can put opposition teams under pressure. We firmly believe, the skipper and I, that this gives us our greatest chance. I would be very surprised if there was too many people who disagree with how we go about playing, because everyone was left entertained,” Stokes had said.
Australia and England will again lock horns with each other in the second Test which will be played at the Lord's from June 28.
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