Did “clashing ideologies,” as was being said until Ricky Ponting and Usman Khwaja spoke up and hit a discordant note, really “script an epic Ashes” series? Was it, as the Australian duo suggested, a bit of jiggery-pokery which may have sensationally fashioned the result of the Oval Test or was it the eternal “sour grapes” story playing out again?
Nitin Menon, a former Indian domestic cricketer, is officiating in the ongoing third 2023 Ashes Test between England and Australia.
econd Ashes Test, which began at Lord's on Wednesday with Australia 1-0 ahead, was of greater significance, considering it was a national, rather than individual, headache.
Protesters who wore Just Stop Oil T-shirts landed at the Lord’s Cricket Ground and disrupted the second Ashes Test match…
Importantly, though, it was only England's third defeat of the Bazball regime, which meant that you couldn’t really dip your pain in acid and write disdainfully of Brendon McCullum, the coach who preaches hyper-aggressive Test cricket or Ben Stokes, the captain who made himself conspicuous with his rash first-day declaration.
Smith was batting on 80 from 152 balls when in the 77th over delivery by Archer hit him on the unprotected part of the neck.
Smith was replaced by Marnus Labuschagne, who became Test cricket's first ever concussion substitute who can bat in Australia's second innings.
Morgan indicated that he might consider stepping down as captain as a possibility too.
England were beaten comprehensively by 251 runs by Australia in the first Test at Edgbaston last week with Archer left out with a side injury.
Pattinson was part of the team that won by 251 runs at Edgbaston, taking two wickets in his first Test in three years. But the 29-year-old will sit out the Lord's Test, which starts on Wednesday, leaving Starc and Hazlewood to push their claims.
