England vs Australia Ashes 3rd Test, Day 1: Talking Points

At the conclusion of day one, England finds themselves trailing by a margin of 195 runs. The umpires called stumps, marking the end of an exceptional day of cricket and setting the stage for an exciting Test match in the Ashes series. Mitchell Marsh showcased his brilliance during the afternoon session, achieving the second-fastest Test century by an Australian in England. His impressive batting performance transitioned seamlessly into the final session as he took the crucial wicket of Zak Crawley, who had scored 33 runs.

Following tea, Marsh was dismissed for 118 runs. Apart from Todd Murphy’s contribution of 13 runs in the lower order, Australia failed to accumulate a larger total and ultimately folded for 263 runs. England’s Mark Wood claimed the last four wickets, finishing with impressive figures of 5/34. England’s start to their innings was less than spectacular, with Ben Duckett falling victim to Pat Cummins after scoring only 2 runs. Shortly after, Cummins dismissed Harry Brook, the number 3 batsman, in his next over.

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Zak Crawley and Joe Root then formed a partnership and maintained a commendable scoring rate. However, their 43-run alliance was eventually broken by none other than Mitchell Marsh, who was making a Test appearance for the first time since September 2019. At the end of the day’s play, Joe Root remains unbeaten on 19 runs, accompanied by Jonny Bairstow, who has scored 1 run. England concluded the day’s play with a total of 68 runs for the loss of three wickets.