Ashes 2023, 3rd Test, Day 1: Mark Wood's five-for keeps England in driver's seat despite Mitchell Marsh's ton
Ashes 2023, 3rd Test, Day 1: Wood's five-for keeps England in driver's seat
England premier seamer Mark Wood made an emphatic return to the Test side, picking a five-wicket haul (five for 34) on day one of the third Ashes Test in Leeds. While his supreme pace stunned the Aussies, a comeback hundred for all-rounder Mitchell Marsh kept the touring side in the game at least until tea. After Australia’s first innings got wrapped up on 263, England was also reduced to 68 for three at stumps, thanks to early strikes by captain Pat Cummins.
Asked to bat first on a relatively greener track, England got the big wicket of David Warner caught in the slips off Stuart Broad for a record 16th time. Though the man in form for the Aussies, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne enjoyed the true bounce off the pitch, hitting a few fours early on, Mark Wood’s sheer pace terrorised them to say the least.
Bowling at over 95 mph, Wood bowled Khawaja off a Jaffa.
Playing his 100th Test, Aussie batting giant Steve Smith joined his favourite batting partner Marnus in the middle. The pair tried stitching a stand but failed, falling prey to exceptional bowling by fellow seamers Broad and another returnee Chris Woakes.
With Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh batting in the middle, English fans knew less about what’s coming for them. Recalled in the side for the first time in around four years as replacement for injured Cameron Green, Marsh grabbed the opportunity with both hands and played a Bazball-like-inning against the inventors of it after lunch.
In just one session, he completed a remarkable hundred, scoring run-a-ball 118, adding 155 for the fifth-wicket stand with keeper Alex Carey. Just on the stroke of tea on day one, Woakes returned to pick the big fish. Come the third session, England was all over the Aussies, with Wood running wild with his express pace. His first five-for in the home Ashes this time saw Australia getting bundled out on 263.
Cummins, Marsh put brakeson Bazball
England got off to a good start with Zak Crawley sending a few bad balls across the boundary line. Australia captain Cummins removed Ben Duckett on two caught behind and picked new makeshift number three Harry Brook caught in the slips. With two wickets down early on, Joe Root joined Crawley in the middle, and the pair started building a partnership.
Star with the bat in hand, Marsh continued with his purple patch by removing Crawley, caught in the similar fashion on 33. Root and Jonny Bairstow played sensibly to avoid losing another wicket as England ended day one on 68 for three, 195 runs behind.
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