Stuart Broad’s ball was a little wide, but the pressure had built up and Steve Smith aimed a loose drive that caught the edge of his bat and sailed safely into Jonny Bairstow’s gloves. Cue pandemonium in a packed Edgbaston with the Ashes well and truly ignited.
What a moment on the fourth day of a first test that lives up to all the expectations of a classic Ashes match. And what an achievement from a bowler in Broad who simply lives for the greatest opportunities this great old game can offer.
The 25,000 who had come to this arena from a ground in a working day roared along with Broad and a keeper in Bairstow who had such a difficult game behind the stumps.
It was the final twist of a riveting fourth day that went one way, then the other and back again before Australia finished on 107 for three, needing another 174 in what will surely be the most exciting and nerve-wracking final days.
Australia appeared to be a firm favorite as they went to 61 without a loss and needed 281 to win after England squandered their chance to take full control of this Ashes opening volley by being bowled out for 273.
A fine spell from Stuart Broad brought the first Ashes Test back in England’s favor on Monday
The England bowler dismissed both Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith late in the day
Smith again failed, with the world No. 2 batsman only scoring 22 runs during the match
David Warner (left) and Usman Khawaja (right) had given the Aussies a good start as they fielded 61 for the first wicket
England had squandered another chance in the first over of the Australian second innings when Usman Khawaja shoved Jimmy Anderson between Bairstow and Joe Root, an error that must go as the Test keeper’s fourth miss. The spectators had gone silent and this crucial first Test seemed to be slipping from England’s grasp.
But this was never going to be an uncomplicated pursuit. Not with the way England play their Test cricket and not with a man like Broad around to whip up the crowd and his teammates with his latest inspirational saying Ashes bowling.
Shrugging off Australian attempts to upset him after his startling remarks after day three, it was Ollie Robinson who made the first breakthrough when he took the edge off David Warner’s bat just when England needed a wicket most.
Enter Broad, who could so easily have been left out of this test had England decided the need for Mark Wood’s extra pace was too great.
However, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum knew they couldn’t repeat the mistakes of past captains and coaches and leave Broad out of such a crucial game. In the first innings he balled Warner and Marnus Labuschagne back to back and now knocked out the world No. 1 and No. 2 batsmen to turn the Test upside down.
Labuschagne avoided a king couple but never looked comfortable and his bat seemed to be drawn like a magnet to Broad’s pitch beyond his off stump. Again Bairstow did the rest, his confidence visibly growing with two catches safely in the pouch.
Soon it was three with the biggest scalps of all in Smith who fell for just six and England, suddenly and quite brilliantly, put themselves in the driver’s seat.
However, Ollie Robinson got the breakthrough when he sacked Warner for a well-made 35
It was Broad’s last inspirational spell of Ashes bowling and showed his nature of big game
Khawaja (left) and night watchman Scott Boland (right) helped Australia finish 107-3 meaning they need a further 174 runs as England need seven wickets on the final day
The surprising figure of Scott Boland emerged as night watchman and did well to not only survive the last 15 minutes of an action-packed day, but also reach 13 in company with centurion Khawaja in the first innings, who was still on it 34 state.
The fourth day started as dramatically as it ended with a pitch that will be remembered almost as long as the very first pitch of day one when Zak Crawley skimmed Pat Cummins through the covers.
This time Joe Root made a surprise start when he missed an attempted reverse incline by Cummins, the fastest Australian bowler, and saw the ball sail through to Alex Carey.
While another full house tried to figure out what they had just seen, Root repeated the trick from his sixth ball of the day, putting Scott Boland in Edgbaston’s stands. Then he did it again on the next delivery, hitting it for four.
The method behind the madness was that Root’s pyrotechnics completely changed the mood of the day, which had begun with England two behind and on the back foot.
Naturally, Australia quickly got back on the defensive, using a fly slip and spreading the field, and the former England captain then began to play in a more orthodox manner as Boland’s first two overs of the day disappeared for 26 runs.
It was brilliant from Root and should have set the tone for a day of home dominance, but maddening England kept finding ways to get Australia back in the game just as they had their foot on the old foe’s throat have to put.
No one embodied that more than Root who had combined the old game that had made him one of England’s best batsman ever with the new of Bazball to hit his 30th Test hundred in the first innings and it looked like he could have done it yesterday would repeat.
Earlier in the day, four wickets from a superb Pat Cummins helped England bowl out for 273
Some vital lower-order runs from England’s bowlers helped take Australia’s target to 281
Joe Root looked good before he was one of Nathan Lyon’s four wickets that day
Harry Brook (pictured) and Ben Stokes joined Root to get into the 1940s before going out
Instead he danced down the field to Nathan Lyon, missed completely and was stunned for 46 by a keeper in Carey who looked far more confident than Bairstow in this Test.
It was the first time Root had been stunned in a first-class match, highlighting that it just wasn’t one of his shots. He should have stuck with backward and orthodox sweeps.
By this time Ollie Pope had continued his struggle in the second innings by being beaten by an excellent in-swinging pitch from Cummins and when Harry Brook also got ahead of the game and drew Lyon to a dive, Labuschagne was in the middle of the wicket Australia back on top.
This fantastic first test continued to ebb and flow and with Stokes and Bairstow together England had another chance to knock Australia out of the game. Then again, they didn’t have the killer instinct that might come from the way they play.
Root set the tone for the remarkable day by attempting a reverse shovel from the very first ball
Moeen Ali bowled seven wicketless overs and struggled with his finger injury in the first innings
Broad’s spell was much needed and also provided Labuschagne after Australia’s fine start
Bairstow had been given a reprieve for one when referee Ahsan Raza’s lbw decision was found to miss the stumps, but was unable to gain an advantage and aimed lbw at Lyon, again not one of his most prolific shots.
The captain tried to take his time and whip himself back into shape but was caught lead footed in the crease by Cummins and became the third England member to reach 40 but failed to make it through even half a century to go.
That England were able to set Australia the target they did was only due to the last three wickets adding 63, Robinson ranking tail by batting wisely to make it 27 before holed in an attempt Lyon over the top.
It looked like England had fallen short by at least 20 runs, but now the stage is set again for a final day that, so long as the rain stays away, could rival that of the biggest Test of them all here in 2005. Then Australia needed 282 to win and famously fell two runs short. We all know what happened next. This year’s Ashes already looks set to rival the series’ most legendary. No wonder Tuesday also seems to be sold out.