<p>The Edgbaston pitch was the central point of discussions after more than 400 runs were scored on the opening day of the first match of the Ashes. England declared their innings after putting up a total of 393 on Friday. England’s total also turned out to be the second-highest by any team on day one of an Ashes match since the World War II. The proceedings of day one’s play prompted fans to question the nature of the pitch. Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer also took a cheeky dig at the Edgbaston pitch. Questioning the nature of the pitch, the ex-India batter shared an edited picture of the ground along with a photo of the highway. “Closer look at the Edgbaston pitch Ashes 2023,” Jaffer tweeted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Closer look at the Edgbaston pitch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ashes23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ashes23</a> <a href="https://t.co/0gNSMWdPim">pic.twitter.com/0gNSMWdPim</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1669710286671204352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>&nbsp;How Fans Are Reacting To The Picture</strong></h2>

<p>The picture went viral soon and cricket fans did not waste much time in reacting to the cheeky post.</p>

<p>“I hope Michael Vaughan will not complain about this pitch. Or ICC will not rate for the flat road,” wrote one Twitter user.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I hope <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MichaelVaughan</a> will not complain about this pitch? Or <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ICC</a> will not rate for the flat road😅😛</p>
— Vipesh Patel (@VipeshPatel27) <a href="https://twitter.com/VipeshPatel27/status/1669712968987164673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Recalling Team India’s World Test Championship (WTC) final loss, this person inquired, “Why did they make a green one for us?”</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Why did they make a green one for us ?</p>
— Harpreet Singh (@Harpreetlaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/Harpreetlaw/status/1669724952533291009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Another social media user felt that the pitch at Edgbaston is ‘batting paradise.”</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Batting paradise</p>
— Mohali to Melbourne 82* (@MelbourneNT82) <a href="https://twitter.com/MelbourneNT82/status/1669712084018536450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Talking about England cricket team’s attacking style of playing, another person replied, “Absolute road, didn’t even swing 1 ball. This is how Bazball works.”</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Absolute road, didn’t even swing 1 ball. This is how bazball works.</p>
— Sudip Maji (@cool_msudip) <a href="https://twitter.com/cool_msudip/status/1669773971708076033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Another Twitter user sarcastically commented, “They want Bazball and these pitches are ok, we want spin but our pitches are not ok.”</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">They want bazzball and these pitch are ok, we want spin but our pitches are not ok.</p>
— Jyotiraditya Pradhan (@Jyotira74697632) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jyotira74697632/status/1669729183491301376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>Ashes 2023 1st Test: Current Scene&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Winning the toss, English skipper Ben Stokes decided to bat first. Joe Root showcased a tremendous batting to bring up his 30th Test century yesterday. With this, the former England captain succeeded in ending his eight-year wait for an Ashes ton. England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow pulled off a crucial knock of 78 in as many deliveries. Root remained unbeaten on 115 when England declared their first innings at 393/8. At Stumps, Australia were at 14/0. The hosts will be eager to win the Ashes series for the first time since 2015. In the last Ashes, the Aussies had hammered England 4-0.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Edgbaston pitch was the central point of discussions after more than 400 runs were scored on the opening day of the first match of the Ashes. England declared their innings after putting up a total of 393 on Friday.

The Edgbaston pitch was the central point of discussions after more than 400 runs were scored on the opening day of the first match of the Ashes. England declared their innings after putting up a total of 393 on Friday. England’s total also turned out to be the second-highest by any team on day one of an Ashes match since the World War II. The proceedings of day one’s play prompted fans to question the nature of the pitch. Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer also took a cheeky dig at the Edgbaston pitch. Questioning the nature of the pitch, the ex-India batter shared an edited picture of the ground along with a photo of the highway. “Closer look at the Edgbaston pitch Ashes 2023,” Jaffer tweeted. Closer look at the Edgbaston pitch #Ashes23 pic.twitter.com/0gNSMWdPim — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) June 16, 2023 × How Fans Are Reacting To The Picture The picture went viral soon and cricket fans did not waste much time in reacting to the cheeky post. “I hope Michael Vaughan will not complain about this pitch. Or ICC will not rate for the flat road,” wrote one Twitter user. I hope @MichaelVaughan will not complain about this pitch? Or @ICC will not rate for the flat road😅😛 — Vipesh Patel (@VipeshPatel27) June 16, 2023 × Recalling Team India’s World Test Championship (WTC) final loss, this person inquired, “Why did they make a green one for us?” Why did they make a green one for us ? — Harpreet Singh (@Harpreetlaw) June 16, 2023 × Another social media user felt that the pitch at Edgbaston is ‘batting paradise.” Batting paradise — Mohali to Melbourne 82* (@MelbourneNT82) June 16, 2023 × Talking about England cricket team’s attacking style of playing, another person replied, “Absolute road, didn’t even swing 1 ball. This is how Bazball works.” Absolute road, didn’t even swing 1 ball. This is how bazball works. — Sudip Maji (@cool_msudip) June 16, 2023 × Another Twitter user sarcastically commented, “They want Bazball and these pitches are ok, we want spin but our pitches are not ok.” They want bazzball and these pitch are ok, we want spin but our pitches are not ok. — Jyotiraditya Pradhan (@Jyotira74697632) June 16, 2023 × Ashes 2023 1st Test: Current Scene Winning the toss, English skipper Ben Stokes decided to bat first. Joe Root showcased a tremendous batting to bring up his 30th Test century yesterday. With this, the former England captain succeeded in ending his eight-year wait for an Ashes ton. England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow pulled off a crucial knock of 78 in as many deliveries. Root remained unbeaten on 115 when England declared their first innings at 393/8. At Stumps, Australia were at 14/0. The hosts will be eager to win the Ashes series for the first time since 2015. In the last Ashes, the Aussies had hammered England 4-0.

Ashes 2023: Wasim Jaffer takes a dig at the Edgbaston pitch

<p>England captain Joe Root`s third consecutive Test century (128 batting) and his 200-run stand for the third wicket with opener Dom Sibley helped the visitors reach 263 for three wickets at stumps on the first day of their first Test against India at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.<br />
<br />
Root became the ninth batsman to slam a century in his 100th Test.<br />
<br />
Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Sibley on 87 off the last ball of the day to help India end it on a positive note for themselves. However, Sibley and Root`s partnership, coupled with a 63-run opening stand between the former and Rory Burns helped England take the upper hand on the first day of the Test.<br />
<br />
England won the toss and chose to bat at the Chepauk Stadium. India opted to play three spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin, Washington Sundar and Shahbaz Nadeem along with two fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and Bumrah.<br />
<br />
Burns and Sibley almost saw England through to lunch without losing a wicket in an attritional first session of the match. However, Ashwin got the breakthrough for the hosts as Burns mistimed a reverse sweep off the spinner. The ball lobed up into the air and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant completed a simple catch.<br />
<br />
Just two overs later, Bumrah dismissed Dan Lawrence, who came in at one down, on a duck to force Root to walk in for the last over of the session.<br />
<br />
Root and Sibley then ensured that England did not lose a wicket in the next session and almost repeated that in the final session of the day. However, Bumrah trapped Sibley in front of his leg stump with a delivery that was pitched high. The umpire raised his finger and Sibley reviewed the decision, only for it to be confirmed by the replays. The umpires called stumps with the fall of that wicket.<br />
<br />
Root walked back to the pavilion having scored his 20th Test century. He had scored 186 and 228 in England`s last two Tests against Sri Lanka. He has hit 14 fours and one six thus far in the innings.<br />
<br />
Brief scores: England 263/3 (Joe Root 128 batting, Dom Sibley 87; Jasprit Bumrah 2/40) vs India.</p>


England captain Joe Root`s third consecutive Test century (128 batting) and his 200-run stand for the third wicket with opener Dom Sibley helped the visitors reach 263 for three wickets at stumps on the first day of their first Test against India at the M.

England captain Joe Root`s third consecutive Test century (128 batting) and his 200-run stand for the third wicket with opener Dom Sibley helped the visitors reach 263 for three wickets at stumps on the first day of their first Test against India at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Friday. Root became the ninth batsman to slam a century in his 100th Test. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Sibley on 87 off the last ball of the day to help India end it on a positive note for themselves. However, Sibley and Root`s partnership, coupled with a 63-run opening stand between the former and Rory Burns helped England take the upper hand on the first day of the Test. England won the toss and chose to bat at the Chepauk Stadium. India opted to play three spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin, Washington Sundar and Shahbaz Nadeem along with two fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and Bumrah. Burns and Sibley almost saw England through to lunch without losing a wicket in an attritional first session of the match. However, Ashwin got the breakthrough for the hosts as Burns mistimed a reverse sweep off the spinner. The ball lobed up into the air and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant completed a simple catch. Just two overs later, Bumrah dismissed Dan Lawrence, who came in at one down, on a duck to force Root to walk in for the last over of the session. Root and Sibley then ensured that England did not lose a wicket in the next session and almost repeated that in the final session of the day. However, Bumrah trapped Sibley in front of his leg stump with a delivery that was pitched high. The umpire raised his finger and Sibley reviewed the decision, only for it to be confirmed by the replays. The umpires called stumps with the fall of that wicket. Root walked back to the pavilion having scored his 20th Test century. He had scored 186 and 228 in England`s last two Tests against Sri Lanka. He has hit 14 fours and one six thus far in the innings. Brief scores: England 263/3 (Joe Root 128 batting, Dom Sibley 87; Jasprit Bumrah 2/40) vs India.

Ind vs Eng 1st Test, Day 1: Root scores 3rd consecutive ton, England take upper hand

<p>Captain Joe Root Friday said he wants England to be "ruthless" after his unbeaten 168 took the team's lead to 185 over Sri Lanka on a rain-hit second day of the opening Test.</p>

<p>England were 320 for four when rain halted play in Galle. Root and Dan Lawrence, who scored 73 on his Test debut, built a 173-run partnership after the tourists resumed the day on 127-2.</p>

<p>Root, who is batting with Jos Buttler (7), hit his 18th Test ton and kept up the pressure on the home bowlers despite losing overnight partner Jonny Bairstow for 47 early in the day.</p>

<p>"I think the things could happen very quickly as the game moves forward, generally does here. It is really important that we make the most of this first innings lead that we have got now," Root told reporters.</p>

<p>"We will be really ruthless. I have spoken about this ahead of the series and make it count and put them under pressure. That way try and bat just once."</p>

<p>After a full opening day in the empty stadium in Galle, rain started falling just before the start of the second day and wiped out the final session.</p>

<p>Root started the day on 66 and passed 100 soon after lunch with a single off Dilruwan Perera. He raised his bat and hugged Lawrence.</p>

<p>It was the star batsman's highest Test score in more than a year after going through 2020 without a century and said he felt "good" to make it count.</p>

<p>"Generally when I get a hundred I make it really count," Root, who has a Test best of 254 in 98 Tests, said. "I have got a good record past 100. Tomorrow I will try to make another really big one and drive the game forward from there."</p>

<p>He added, "I felt I really got in a good mindset throughout this game so far. Will try and take that forward into the rest of this winter tour and beyond."</p>

<p>England will tour India for a full series including four Tests after the two matches in Sri Lanka as part of a hectic cricket calender in 2021.</p>

<h2>- Debut special -</h2>

<p>Lawrence, 23, stood firm with his captain, displaying confidence against the spinners as he brought up his fifty in 95 balls with five fours and one six.</p>

<p>Lawrence, who plays for English county Essex, survived two dropped catches on 60 and 68 and finally fell to Perera.</p>

<p>"Very impressed, I thought he played magnificently well," Root said of the Essex batsman.</p>

<p>"Showed exactly why he deserves an opportunity to play and it's the start of something very special for him."</p>

<p>Earlier Bairstow became left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya's third victim, caught at gully. The wicket ended a 114-run third-wicket stand for the tourists.</p>

<p>Off-spinner Dom Bess returned career-best figures of 5-30 to help skittle Sri Lanka out for 135 -- the lowest first-innings score at the venue -- in two sessions on Thursday after the hosts elected to bat.</p>

<p>"Obviously it's been a tough couple of days for us and probably we are a long way behind the game," Sri Lankan fast bowling coach David Saker said.</p>

<p>"The best way we can start tomorrow is get these six wickets as quickly as we can. I think the opposition put us in a lot of pressure. I think Joe Root batted very well and the young kid on debut was very good as well."</p>

<p>The two-match series has resumed after being aborted last March due to the coronavirus pandemic.</p>


Captain Joe Root Friday said he wants England to be "ruthless" after his unbeaten 168 took the team's lead to 185 over Sri Lanka on a rain-hit second day of the opening Test.

Captain Joe Root Friday said he wants England to be "ruthless" after his unbeaten 168 took the team's lead to 185 over Sri Lanka on a rain-hit second day of the opening Test. England were 320 for four when rain halted play in Galle. Root and Dan Lawrence, who scored 73 on his Test debut, built a 173-run partnership after the tourists resumed the day on 127-2. Root, who is batting with Jos Buttler (7), hit his 18th Test ton and kept up the pressure on the home bowlers despite losing overnight partner Jonny Bairstow for 47 early in the day. "I think the things could happen very quickly as the game moves forward, generally does here. It is really important that we make the most of this first innings lead that we have got now," Root told reporters. "We will be really ruthless. I have spoken about this ahead of the series and make it count and put them under pressure. That way try and bat just once." After a full opening day in the empty stadium in Galle, rain started falling just before the start of the second day and wiped out the final session. Root started the day on 66 and passed 100 soon after lunch with a single off Dilruwan Perera. He raised his bat and hugged Lawrence. It was the star batsman's highest Test score in more than a year after going through 2020 without a century and said he felt "good" to make it count. "Generally when I get a hundred I make it really count," Root, who has a Test best of 254 in 98 Tests, said. "I have got a good record past 100. Tomorrow I will try to make another really big one and drive the game forward from there." He added, "I felt I really got in a good mindset throughout this game so far. Will try and take that forward into the rest of this winter tour and beyond." England will tour India for a full series including four Tests after the two matches in Sri Lanka as part of a hectic cricket calender in 2021. - Debut special - Lawrence, 23, stood firm with his captain, displaying confidence against the spinners as he brought up his fifty in 95 balls with five fours and one six. Lawrence, who plays for English county Essex, survived two dropped catches on 60 and 68 and finally fell to Perera. "Very impressed, I thought he played magnificently well," Root said of the Essex batsman. "Showed exactly why he deserves an opportunity to play and it's the start of something very special for him." Earlier Bairstow became left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya's third victim, caught at gully. The wicket ended a 114-run third-wicket stand for the tourists. Off-spinner Dom Bess returned career-best figures of 5-30 to help skittle Sri Lanka out for 135 -- the lowest first-innings score at the venue -- in two sessions on Thursday after the hosts elected to bat. "Obviously it's been a tough couple of days for us and probably we are a long way behind the game," Sri Lankan fast bowling coach David Saker said. "The best way we can start tomorrow is get these six wickets as quickly as we can. I think the opposition put us in a lot of pressure. I think Joe Root batted very well and the young kid on debut was very good as well." The two-match series has resumed after being aborted last March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

'Ruthless' Root hits first ton in over a year

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Ashes 2023: Wasim Jaffer takes a dig at the Edgbaston pitch

Ind vs Eng 1st Test, Day 1: Root scores 3rd consecutive ton, England take upper hand

'Ruthless' Root hits first ton in over a year