Australia defeated England in the first Test of the Ashes 2023 series. This was the worst possible start for England. Pat Cummins completed a remarkable two-wicket victory, leaving Ben Stokes and England with numerous questions. The host’s ‘Bazball’ strategy was on full display as they displayed their aggressive intent from the very beginning.
From Stokes’ declaration on the first day of the match to the distinct fielding configurations, England faced Australia employing a variety of strategies. However, it appeared that the Australians had an answer for each of them. Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting shared the same view. The 48-year-old gave his opinion on the game and even suggested that Jonny Bairstow‘s subpar performance behind the wickets was a significant factor in England’s loss.
“From my perspective, England has more issues to answer than Australia at the moment. Ricky Ponting was quoted in The Daily Star as saying, “On their style of play, but also now looking at that first Test, they’re going to have some selection issues to deal with.”
“Jonny Bairstow had a very average performance behind the wickets. Approximately four opportunities have been passed up. And on flat surfaces, if they desire flat wickets, you cannot afford for your keeper to make errors,” he continued.
These errors may have cost them the test match: Ricky Ponting
As the victorious team, Australia will have far fewer questions to address than England. He even speculated that Bairstow’s errors may have cost England the match.
“On their own, these errors could have cost them the test match, according to some, if you examine them in isolation. These are questions they must address. “Australia, having won the game, will be asked significantly fewer questions,” Ponting stated.
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