Australia batted beautifully to reach an impressive 339/5 at the end of day 1 of the second Ashes 2023 Test match against England.
Due to their victory in the series’ opening game at the Oval, they entered the game leading the series 1-0. The second Test of the series will be played at the venerable Lord’s stadium.
Even though England lost the previous game by a slim margin, they continued to play aggressively. But Australian batters rose to the occasion and produced runs at a respectable clip all day long.
Cricket fans around the world were entertained by what happened on the first day of the second Ashes Test. Humorous memes shared on Instagram and Twitter by fans expressed their feelings about the game.
Some Twitter Reactions:
Good start to the 2nd test.
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) June 28, 2023
Bairstow has done some heavy lifting already😂😂 #Ashes2023 pic.twitter.com/f0JcZnCvEr
5-339 is a great platform for Australia.
— Damien Ractliffe (@DamienRactliffe) June 28, 2023
But I understand England feel like they’ve won that day’s play. #Ashes2023
Steve Smith needs
— Arnav Singh (@Arnavv43) June 29, 2023
11 runs to get to 2000 Test runs in England
34 runs to reach 500 Test runs at Lords
149 runs to become 1st cricketer in last 100 years to amass 3300+ Ashes runs#Ashes2023#ENGvsAUS pic.twitter.com/rvyhie1Hnb
The indomitable #TravisHead form continues to rule. WHAT A PLAYER! What a time he's having. Simply astounding! The GOAT is nearing ANOTHER CENTURY @stevesmith49 ❗#AUSvENG #ENGvAUS #Ashes2023
— Ani (@anirudhani_) June 29, 2023
Steve Smith best ever test player I have ever seen @stevesmith49 #Ashes2023 #Ashes
— SIDDHUCHEETAH 🇮🇳 (@Siddhucheetah) June 29, 2023
The man has great consistency in Test cricket. He is on his way to another ton while blind fans of a certain player boast only of their past performances.
— Akash Agrawal (@AkashAgrawal_1) June 29, 2023
Current form > 3-4 year old performances
Hit like if you agree! #Ashes2023 #SteveSmith #CricketTwitter #ENGvsAUS pic.twitter.com/bm9RSDeFHh
Ashes 2023: After Kevin Pietersen's brutal dig, two former England captains slam Three Lions' 'utter dross' display on Day 1 of Lord's Test@englandcricket https://t.co/sstogTHf1r#Ashes2023 #ENGvAUS #BenStokes pic.twitter.com/USWW0bgDqR
— Sports Tak (@sports_tak) June 29, 2023
In the morning’s cloudy toss, England captain Ben Stokes chose to bowl first in order to secure the advantage. As English pacers immediately swung the ball in both directions, Usman Khawaja (17 off 70 balls) started out cautiously.
David Warner, his opening partner, took the opposite tack and never stopped looking for scoring opportunities. A couple of dropped catches by English fielders gave the duo lifelines, much to the chagrin of the bowlers, and good fortune also smiled upon the pair.
In the 24th over, just before lunch, Josh Tongue finally broke the 73-run opening stand by dismissing Usman Khawaja. To give England a crucial breakthrough in the second session, the speedster then bowled a masterful inswinger to remove David Warner’s bails.
With a steadfast 102-run partnership for the third wicket, Marnus Labuschagne (47) and Steve Smith fortified their partnership and propelled the innings forward. In the 55th over, Ollie Robinson sent Labuschagne back to the pavilion to keep the two opponents apart.
After that, Travis Head (77 off 73 balls) entered the fray and played a forceful innings, putting together a 118-run partnership with Steve Smith to give the innings a boost.
By removing Head and Cameron Green in the 75th over, Joe Root gave England a chance to win in the waning minutes. At day’s end, Australia was still without a loss thanks to Alex Carey (11*) and Steve Smith (85*).
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates