The first Ashes Test concluded in just two days in Perth, with Australia taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
Test matches cannot be won in a single session. But they can surely be lost in a singe session. All it takes is two hours of bad cricket, or two hours of scintillating cricket from the opposition. As for Ben Stokes and England, they were found on the wrong side of the fence in the closing hours of Day 2. The visitors succumbed to the might of Travis Head, who scored a century off just 69 balls.
The left-handed batter from Australia opened the innings in the second innings, in the absence of Usman Khawaja, who was off the field for a back spasm issue. The 31-year-old batted like he was in a hurry to finish the game and head back to the dressing room. Travis Head scored a century in 69 deliveries, taking the attack to the Englishmen.
As a result, the hosts ended up chasing the target of 205 in just 28.2 overs, leaving the England players dazed, so as to what had happened. Head was finally dismissed for 123, but it was way too late for the visitors to claw back into the game. Marnus Labuschagne also ended up scoring a crucial unbeaten 51 as the hosts clinched the first Test by eight wickets.
England skipper Ben Stokes spoke about how Travis Head left them shellshocked after the game. We have seen multiple instances where it is extremely difficult for the bowlers to stop Travis Head once he gets going. And that is exactly hat happened in Perth on Day 2. As a result, the game was already over before the England players could digest how quickly it slipped away from their control.
“We’re a little bit shellshocked there. I’ve seen Travis play a lot of knocks like that, whether it be in Test cricket or white-ball cricket. He’s very hard to stop”, said Ben Stokes in the post-match interview.
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With the way Travis Head approached the innings, there are two possibilities that could have taken place. Either the pitch had eased out a bit, or it was the class of the player. Actually, it was a combination of both. The wicket surely had something in it for the seamers, but Travis Head nullified the bowler’s advantage by constantly keeping England on their toes.
To add to that, Ben Stokes mentioned an important point in the post-match interview. The batters who reaped rewards in the Test match were the ones who were bold enough to take the bowlers on. The ones who chose to stay out there in the middle for longer periods of time were actually dismissed. And this is exactly why he lauded Travis Head for not letting the bowlers settle.
England were pretty much in the game till the Australians walked out to bat in the second innings. In fact, they were targeting a victory, with the Aussies having to chase 205 – which looked like a steep chase on the Perth wicket which had all the assistance for the pacers. What unfolded was a complete mockery of England’s bowling. Head’s 123 was also the fastest century in the Ashes series, only behind Adam Gilchrist, who got there in 57 deliveries.
With a loss in the first Test, England might have squandered a chance to start on a winning note. With the likes of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood coming in for the next Test which is more than a week away, it will be a steep climb for the Englishmen.
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