3 reasons why England lost the 1st Test of the 2023 Ashes against Australia
The 2023 Ashes got off to a rollicking start as Australia clinched a thrilling two-wicket win over England in the opening Test at Edgbaston on Tuesday, June 20.
Prior to the first Test, England had won 11 of their 13 Tests in the Ben Stokes era of captaincy. However, their bold approach was bound to wind up with them on the losing side at some point, and Pat Cummins held his nerve with the bat on the fifth day to help the visitors edge ahead in what is bound to be an enthralling series.
The second Test is a week away, something that will be welcomed by England's already exhausted pace attack. Stokes and Brendon McCullum will also want to look at their areas of improvement and turn in a more comprehensive display at Lord's.
Here are three reasons why England lost the 1st Test of the 2023 Ashes against Australia.
#3 Ben Stokes' widely debated first-innings declaration would've likely altered the result
This has been a topic of wide debate. It's arguable that Stokes' bold declaration on Day 1, which went against the grain, was the only thing that manufactured a result in the opening Test.
While fans got their money's worth and both teams were handed a clear chance to win the game, England could've avoided a loss had they batted through their first innings. Joe Root was looking in ominous touch at the crease, and the hosts had the buffer of two wickets.
As it turned out, Stokes and Co. couldn't produce any breakthroughs in the time Australia batted before Stumps on Day 1. Although they secured a first-innings lead, they had the opportunity to put the Kangaroos under more pressure throughout the game.
As Stokes mentioned at the post-match presentation, things could've transpired differently. Maybe Root and the last English wicket would've fallen without a single extra run on the board, but the early declaration was probably a touch too bold.
#2 The hosts didn't approach their second innings too smartly
Yes, the first-innings declaration was a big talking point, but England didn't do themselves many favours with the way they batted in the second innings. On a slow Edgbaston wicket that offered a bit of turn at times and kept the batters on their toes occasionally, the hosts managed only 273.
None of the English batters crossed the 50-run mark, with Joe Root and Harry Brook dismissed just before the milestone while trying to take down Nathan Lyon. Jonny Bairstow, meanwhile, suffered the same fate after making 20.
The other dismissals weren't brought about by rash shots, but England's key batters should've gotten stuck in and played longer innings after getting their eye in. Usman Khawaja showed the merits of the same in both innings, holding one end up even though the Aussie middle order was nowhere near its best.
#1 Key England players weren't at their best physically in the opening Ashes Test
Jack Leach's injury prompted England to rush Moeen Ali out of Test retirement and into the playing XI, and the all-rounder understandably struggled to cope with the rigours of red-ball cricket. He soon developed a blister on his bowling finger, which couldn't deal with the sudden increase in workload.
James Anderson, who only recently recovered from an injury of his own, wasn't at his best. Anderson's struggles, along with Stokes' persistent knee niggle, meant that Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson had to shoulder much of the bowling workload throughout the Test.
It remains to be seen if England ring in some changes for the second Ashes Test, with the likes of Mark Wood and Chris Woakes waiting on the sidelines.