TOP SPIN AT THE TEST: Usman Khawaja becomes just the second Australian to bat every day of a five-day test…as his side complete their second-highest ever pursuit in England
- Australia won a dramatic first Ashes Test by two wickets at Edgbaston on day five
- Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyou are great unbroken partnership she saw at home
- Here, Lawrence Booth of Mail Sport runs through the big stats from the last day
It was an all-ages test match at Edgbaston this week and one to rival the iconic Ashes encounter on the same ground 18 years ago in 2005.
Australia were on the right side of a dramatic chase this time as they came home two wickets thanks to a superb innings from their skipper Pat Cummins and admirable support from Nathan Lyon.
The final day of action was thrilling and you couldn’t afford to take your eyes off as both teams traded blows all the time.
It looked like England would prevail if they beat the visitors, 227-8, still needing 54 to win, but an inspired unbroken ninth wicket partnership between Cummins and Lyon meant first blood for the Aussies ahead of the second test next week at Heer.
BelowMail Sports LAWRENCE BOOTH delivers the big stats from day five.
Australia completed their second highest pursuit in England as they won the first Ashes Test
Usman Khawaja became the second Australian to bat every day of a five-day Test, after Kim Hughes made 117 and 84 in the Centenary Test against England at Lord’s in 1980.
In this Test, Pat Cummins achieved his two highest scores since December 2018 when he scored 63 against India in Melbourne.
This was Australia’s second highest successful chase in England, beaten only by their 404 for three at Headingley in 1948.
Australia have beaten England by two wickets only once before – at Sydney in 1907-08, when Tibby Cotter and Gerry Hazlitt put down an unbroken 56 for the ninth wicket, one more than Cummins and Lyon succeeded here.
Australia have now won the first Test in each of the last four Ashes. In the previous three, they won at home in 2017/18 and 2021/22, and drew in 2019. England’s last First Test win was in 2015 at Cardiff.
The stoic Usman Khawaja became the second Australian to bat every day of a five-day test
In this test, Cummins achieved his two highest scores since December 2018 when he scored 63 against India in Melbourne