Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood said that they did a good job on Day 1 of the first Ashes 2023 Test at Edgbaston on Friday, June 16 as well. While England declared on 393/8 after 78 overs, the veteran pacer stated that it was an even day’s play considering the surface as well. However, England batted first after winning the toss and scored quickly. Joe Root scored an unbeaten 118 off 152 balls, while Jonny Bairstow smashed a run-a-ball 78 and opener Zak Crawley 61 off 73 as well. While a few said that England ended Day 1 with the upper hand, Hazlewood didn’t think so.
Speaking at a press conference at the end of the day’s play, he said: “Think you have to look at the end score, so 8 for under 400 or basically all out for 400. You’d take that on that wicket for sure. Whether it takes 80 overs or 160, it’s the same score. We have to start to look at things a bit differently, I guess, not so much strike-rates and economy and things like that. It’s just about wickets and the score and if we can keep it as simple as that think it will go a long way towards wrapping our head around the new Ashes. Thought we held our guns pretty well. It wasn’t outrageous strokeplay. There was a bit at the end there off Gazza [Nathan Lyon] for Rooty, but a batter on 100+ usually plays shots like that anyway with the tail.”
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Meanwhile, former England captain Nasser Hussain was not impressed by Australia’s defensive field settings on Day 1 of the Edgbaston Test as well. But Josh Hazlewood defended the tactics, saying that there was nothing much on the surface for the bowlers. Notably, veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon was Australia’s most successful bowler of the day as he returned with figures of 4/149 from 29 overs.
“Think sometimes you can come across a day four or five wicket being like that in England if it’s dry. The outside edge didn’t feel in play much at all after that new ball so you sort of comparing it to the subcontinent a little or a Sydney wicket where the plans do change throughout the day and you go straighter where you are looking for lbws and bowled.”Not your typical wicket but both teams have to bowl on it so we’ll see how it goes,” he added.
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“Not really. Once Joe got his hundred they played a few shots, sensed it was coming. That’s the way they are playing their cricket at the moment. First day was probably as I expected to be honest pretty much. The wicket was, not a great deal in it, very, very slow. Not much sideways movement or swing. 390 and we are none-for, so pretty even I’d say,” Josh Hazlewood concluded.
