5 times Australia had no answers to a counter-attack from England in Ashes history
The Ashes has seen its share of counter-attacking batting by England and Australia over the years, with each often catching the other off-guard in the process.
While the dominant Australian teams from the late 1990s and early 2000s used it to tremendous effect, England have also used their attacking instincts with the bat on occasions to demoralize the Aussies.
The fourth Test of the ongoing Ashes was an example of England toying with the Australian bowlers on a placid Manchester wicket. Winning the toss and fielding first, the hosts restricted Australia to 317 in their first innings.
In response, Ben Stokes and Co. finally weaved their Bazball magic in full force as they finished Day 2 at 384/4 in 72 overs. Opener Zak Crawley scored a majestic 189 off only 182 deliveries, while star batter Joe Root smashed 84 off 95 balls.
The duo added 206 off only 178 deliveries with strokeplay of the highest order to lead England into the ascendency.
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Stumps on Day 2! 🌙
A fabulous day for England as they take control with a lead of 67 runs and 6 wickets still in hand. 💪🏏
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The five-match series is still in Australia's favor at 2-1, but the English batters made a resounding statement that caught the visitors napping.
With the possibility of inclement weather in the later stages, England's counter-attacking style of batting has aided the side with more time to force a result in this must-win encounter.
As we look forward to seeing what transpires during the remainder of the game, let us look back on five instances where Australia had no answers to a counter-attack by the English batters.
#1 England's run chase in the 4th Test of Ashes 2001
One of England's rare victories in the early 2000s against the Australians came about through a counter-attacking final innings display in the fourth Test of the 2001 Ashes.
After handily losing the opening three games of the series, England looked headed in a similar path again at Leed's. However, with 315 runs required to win in the final innings, the hosts had a sudden change in batting approach.
Coming in at 8/1 that soon became 33/2, Mark Butcher played one of the best Ashes knocks, scoring an unbeaten 173 off 227 deliveries. His aggressive 181-run partnership with skipper Nasser Hussain took England to the brink of victory.
Despite losing Hussain, Butcher combined with Mark Ramprakash, who made a quick-fire 32, to lead England to a stunning six-wicket victory.
The southpaw's attacking batting caught even the likes of Glenn Mcgrath, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, and Shane Warne off guard and tilted the momentum in England's favor.
#2 Day 1 assault in the 2nd Test of Ashes 2005
While the second Test of the 2005 Ashes at Edgbaston is remembered for its climax, with England emerging victorious by two runs, their batting on Day 1 was the turning point.
After suffering a 239-run loss in the first Test of arguably the most hyped Ashes series in recent memory, the hosts started the Edgbaston fixture on an ultra-aggressive note. Being asked to bat first in a surprising move by Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting, England took the opportunity with both hands.
Openers Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss added 112 for the first wicket in just over 25 overs to lay the foundation. The former finished with 90 off 102 deliveries and was followed by a couple of brutal knocks by Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff.
Pieterson scored 71 off 76 balls, while Flintoff smashed 68 off 62 deliveries to put on a destructive 103-run partnership off only 105 deliveries. The rest of the batting also scored briskly, leading England to a score of 407 on Day 1.
Scoring at over five runs an over, England left no stone unturned as they sent a statement to their Ashes rivals that sparked a turnaround in their fortunes for the rest of the series.
England won the Test in a thriller and went on to Ashes glory, winning one of the best Test series ever played by a 2-1 margin.
#3 Opening partnership on Day 1 of the 2nd Test in Ashes 2009
Sir Alistair Cook and Andrew Strauss are arguably the best England openers in Test history. Both left-handed batters were renowned for their stoic and more textbook style of Test batting.
However, on the opening day of the second Ashes Test in 2009, the duo surprised the Aussie bowlers with their attacking batting. The pair added a century partnership before Lunch, with skipper Strauss reaching his ton before Tea on Day 1.
Their opening partnership of 196 runs at over four runs per over took the Aussie bowlers out of their comfort zone and led England to a match-winning total of 425 in only 101 overs. The aggressive batting display proved vital in the end, as England won the contest by 115 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
#4 First-innings masterclass in the 2nd Test of Ashes 2010-11
It was Adelaide in 2006 when England suffered one of their most shocking defeats after being in control for much of the contest. This time, however, the visitors ensured the roles reversed despite the repeat of another Kevin Pietersen masterclass.
After a drawn first Test, England set out to put behind the ghosts of the 5-0 whitewash from the 2006-07 tour Down Under, starting from Adelaide. Restricting the hosts to a paltry total of 245 on a placid pitch, England wasted no time putting their foot down during their batting display.
They raced to 176/2 at a decent pace before Pieterson entered the arena and put on a scintillating display. The champion batter scored a breathtaking 227 off only 308 deliveries and added century partnerships with Sir Alistair Cook, Paul Collingwood, and Ian Bell.
The incredible batting display propelled England to a massive 620/5 declared, scoring at more than four runs per over. The onslaught proved pivotal as a decimated Australian lineup surrendered meekly to lose by an innings and 71 runs.
#5 A Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow Special in the 4th Test of Ashes 2015
The now famous partnership of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow was at it eight years earlier in the fourth Test of the 2015 Ashes series. After bowling out the Aussies for a meager 60 in their first innings, England were quickly reduced to 34/2.
However, a young Joe Root played within himself, displaying great defiance in the initial stages of his innings. Then, with the departure of Sir Alistair Cook, the talismanic batter tore apart the Australian attack in the company of Jonny Bairstow.
The duo added a sensational 173 off just 205 deliveries to dispirit the Australians and lead the hosts to 391 in their first essay at more than 4.50 runs per over. To compound matters for the Aussies, they were tormented by a quick-fire 38 off 24 deliveries by Moeen Ali.
The power-packed batting display proved too hot for the Aussies to handle as they surrendered to an innings defeat.