Smith’s sensational milestone puts Australia in command at Lord’s

On a rain-affected opening day in London, the hosts struggled with front-foot no-balls and dropped catches, lacking their usual intensity and aggression. However, it was Australian cricket vice-captain Steve Smith who stole the show, propelling his team to a strong position at stumps in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.

Australia finished the day at 5-339 after being asked to bat first, with Smith remaining unbeaten on 85 alongside wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who was 11 not out. Despite losing their openers before and after the lunch break, Smith formed crucial century partnerships with Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head, dominating England’s lackluster bowlers.

Towards the end of the evening session, part-time spinner Joe Root provided some respite for England by claiming two quick wickets. Former England captain Andrew Strauss acknowledged Root’s contribution, stating that those wickets salvaged what would have been a truly awful day for England and turned it into a bad one.

In addition to the team’s success, Steve Smith achieved a remarkable milestone by surpassing 9,000 Test runs on the day, becoming the first player to accomplish this feat in fewer than 100 matches. His exceptional batting performance solidified Australia’s position and further enhanced his reputation as one of the game’s premier batsmen.

Meanwhile, England will be concerned about the fitness of vice-captain Ollie Pope, who sustained a shoulder injury while fielding in the afternoon session. Ben Stokes, the England captain, won the toss and elected to bowl first, making one change to the team by replacing Scott Boland with Mitchell Starc. England also dropped spinner Moeen Ali in favour of Josh Tongue, who received his second Test cap.

Only Kumar Sangakkara has reached 9000 Test runs in fewer innings than Steve Smith 🔥#ENGvAUS | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/g8FPQrO386

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 28, 2023

The morning session saw interruptions from ‘Just Stop Oil’ protesters who briefly invaded the field, causing a delay. However, play resumed with James Anderson coming close to taking an early wicket when Usman Khawaja’s edge was not held by Root at first slip. David Warner, on the other hand, survived a couple of close calls and was dropped by Pope on a straightforward chance.

Despite some initial challenges from Tongue, Warner managed to reach his half-century before being dismissed for 66 by the young seamer. Smith, on the other hand, started his innings aggressively, but survived an overturned caught-behind decision after a review. He then went on to form a valuable partnership with Labuschagne, who overcame a few scares and continued to build his innings.

The partnership between Labuschagne and Smith surpassed the century mark before Labuschagne fell to Ollie Robinson’s outswinger, caught behind by Bairstow. Travis Head then took charge, playing entertaining shots and quickly accumulating runs. However, his innings ended in a comical manner as he was deceived by Root and stumped, sprawled on the pitch.

Root continued his success by dismissing Cameron Green in the same over, reducing Australia to 2-0 in just four balls. England’s decision not to include a specialist spinner came into question as Root’s spin proved effective. Nevertheless, Smith and Carey managed to survive the day’s remaining overs without further losses, ensuring Australia’s advantage.

It is worth noting that Australia has not lost a Test match at Lord’s when batting first since 1896, adding to the significance of their strong position at the end of the day

Australia, with their dominant performance on the rain-affected opening day, emerged as strong favourites with the top cricket betting sites heading into day two of the second Ashes Test. The betting odds reflected their commanding position, with Australia priced at $1.53, indicating the confidence placed in their ability to continue their stronghold on the match.

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