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The Ashes that changed it all: First Test

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Roar Rookie
1st May, 2020
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The 2013-14 Ashes series was one of the most entertaining Ashes contests in the modern era.

It was the series that spring-boarded the Aussies back to global domination and set the ball rolling that reached its peak when they won the World Cup back on home soil.

It had everything a devoted Ashes fan could wish for and it did not disappoint – well, if you’re an Aussie fan at least. The Poms had the upper hand after holding the urn for a little over four years but the baggy greens, coming in as underdogs, were not going to let this one slip away from them.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane as we relive the first Test that helped the Australians win back the most historical trophy in Australian sport.

The Ashes Urn

(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

The motherland arrived down under with expectations weighing them down, specifically their captain Alastair Cook. Although Australia had the better team on paper, I did not fancy them to win against the English. The first Test marked the debut of George Bailey as well as England bad boy Kevin Pietersen’s 100th Test. Captain Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bat first, and the Ashes were underway.

England got off to a good start by dismissing Chris Rogers, Shane Watson and Clarke cheaply thanks to a fine display of fast bowling by Stuart Broad, but David Warner kept a cool head and got himself to 49 until he also was sent to the changing rooms by Broad.

England’s tails were up and with debutant Bailey also failing to score, the English smelled blood. It looked like the same old story for Australia when they were 6-140, but then opening bowler Mitchell Johnson came to join their last recognised batsman Brad Haddin at the crease.

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Johnson and Haddin put on a scintillating display of aggressive batting, both reaching half centuries and getting the Australians past 200. Celebrations were short lived after Johnson’s heroic performance was ended by Broad, who picked up his fifth wicket in the innings. With a couple more brief partnerships Australia were bowled out for 295 with Haddin falling agonisingly short of a ton after getting run out on 94. It was a respectable total and both Clarke and Cook couldn’t be too upset.

England’s openers, Cook and Michael Carberry, stood their ground at the start of their innings and it didn’t look like the fierce pace of Johnson would worry them too much. Ryan Harris broke the deadlock, getting the outside edge of the England captain’s bat with their total on 28.

Johnson and Harris combined to pick up another three wickets between them as the England middle order did not seem to challenge their attacking spirits. Nathan Lyon was not going to miss out on the party and almost picked up a hat trick, getting England keeper Matt Prior out first ball. Stuart Broad strut out to bat with England’s total only a meager 87.

Mitchell Johnson did not let the tail wag to long, ending up with four wickets. Batting without much support, Broad was able to get himself to an individual score of 32 and England to 136 only to be Peter Siddle’s first victim. With Australia leading by 159 runs, they certainly were in the driving seat.

Australia came out to bat for the second time and looked to assert themselves as Rogers and Warner put on an opening stand of 67, only to let Rogers fall into Broad’s trap once again at the start of Day 3. Shane Watson followed shortly after Rogers’ dismissal, but that made way for Australia’s captain Michael Clarke.

The Australian captain and vice-captain piled on the runs for the Aussies. They humiliated the English attack and scored a vital 158-run partnership to tighten their grip on the match. After both of them were out, Australia sat on a comfortable 455-run lead and it would have been understandable if Clarke called the declaration when he got out, but when you’ve got such a strong hand around your arch enemy’s throat, why let them get off easy?

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Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson got stuck in together for the second time in this match to further obliterate the English. Haddin reached another half century when Clarke called them to indicate that their run cow was fat enough. And fat it was: England needed an enormous 561 runs to go one-nil up in the series.

Victory looked assured for the Aussies when they went out to bowl late on Day 3.

Australian bowler Mitchell Johnson prepares to bowl on day 3 of the second Test match between Australia and India at the Gabba in Brisbane, Friday, Dec. 19, 2014. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Ryan Harris again proved to be vital when Carberry played one on to his own stumps just before the close of play. Mitchell Johnson also got a hold of his man Jonathan Trott for the second time this game, leaving England two down for ten runs at the end of Day 3.

The end was near and a bowling attack led by Johnson could almost taste glory when they woke up on Day 4. Cook and Pietersen didn’t start the day that badly. They put on a 62-run stand. But all of England realised that the inevitable would catch up with them after Pietersen was dismissed by Johnson.

Cook’s 50 served as a consolation and was about the only positive they could take out of the game. After his removal it all went downhill. Joe Root stayed on to end his match on 26 not out, but the same can’t be said for the rest of the middle order and the tail.

Johnson and company tore through them and the main man himself picking up a five-for, making his tally nine at the end of the first Test. With England being bowled out for 179 it was Australia who drew first blood and the belief that sparked the performance of Clarke’s men spread throughout the country. Mitchell Johnson took the man-of-the-match award after picking up nine wickets in the match and notching a half century.

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Australia won the first Test and went one-nil up in the series. Their dominance certainly showed on the field and there wasn’t a lot of criticism to be dished out for Darren Lehmann’s men. The same can’t be said for the English. Their disappointing performance was directed towards their lack of experience in southern hemisphere conditions.

They simply had no answer for the Australian batsmen, with Broad being an exception. And they certainly did not find a way to cope with the tactics of the Australian bowling line-up.

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