The Ashes: Top four stats from the first Test match
Australia comfortably rolled over their hosts to draw first-blood and take a crucial 1-0 lead, early in the series. They were down and out halfway through the first day's play but Steve Smith's heroics and inspired bowling displays in both innings rescued them from a catastrophic defeat.
England were outsmarted and were batted out of the game and in an attempt of saving the Test, they fell into Nathan Lyon's treacherous entangle and succumbed. The historic win at Edgbaston tumbled a lot of record books and, in this piece, we dive deeper into some of the best stats that came out from the enthralling first Ashes Test.
Fortress Edgbaston breached
Australia's resounding victory at Birmingham's Edgbaston was, incredibly, their first triumph at the venue in any international game, since 2001. Ironically, the last game Australia won here was an Ashes Test, following which they went on to win the urn. Could this Australian side reach a similar fate and create history on the English shores?
As for England, Edgbaston is nothing less than a fortification where they have enjoyed a winning streak spanning 11 international matches and nearly five years before the Australians of 2019 finally breached the fort and caused rampage within.
Spectacular Steve
Steve Smith put up a classical batting show on his return to Test Cricket and completed his redemption with two surreal centuries. His second innings ton marked his 10th century in Ashes Cricket - only the fourth player to do so.
Smith joined the legendary company of Don Bradman, Steve Waugh and Jack Hobbs occupying the top-three spots. Smith has also notched up 25 centuries in the format and he has achieved this feat in only 119 innings - the second fastest to the landmark after Don Bradman.
Also read - Ashes Man of The Match