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Ashes 2023 | Mitchell Marsh Ton, Mark Wood Five-Fer Sums Up Balanced Opening Day At Leeds

image-ljreqymvMark Wood celebrates Pat Cummins' wicket on Day 1 (Twitter)

Australia and England shared the opening day honours of the third Ashes 2023 Test at Leeds. However, the hosts might consider themselves slightly ahead, despite being jolted early by rival skipper Pat Cummins’ sublime new-ball gambit.

Earlier in the day, English captain Ben Stokes had won the toss and invited the Australians to bat first. Senior paceman Stuart Broad heralded the must-win Test for the hosts by removing David Warner within the opening over, before comeback men Mark Wood and Chris Woakes polished off the Australian tail.

Marsh fuels Australian total before batting collapse

Stuart Broad dismissed David Warner on the fifth ball of the day, to account for the dynamic Australian opener for the 16th time in Tests. Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne failed to convert their starts, and so did batting veteran Steve Smith on his 100th Test appearance for Australia.

At 85-4, middle-order batter Travis Head found an abled partner in Mitchell Marsh, who celebrated his Test return after four years with a majestic ton. The star all-rounder counter-attacked with cuts and pulls to punch his way to a run-a-ball 118. The duo shared 155 runs together for the fifth wicket, and consumed just under 28 overs to do so.

However, Marsh’s dismissal against the run of play triggered a colossal batting collapse within the Australian lower-order. From 240-4, they slumped to 263 all out, losing six wickets in a space 52 deliveries courtesy of England’s comeback pacers Mark Wood and Chris Woakes.

Woakes picked up three wickets in the innings, including that of a well-settled Marsh. Meanwhile, Wood finished with a five-fer to claim 5-34 from 11.4 overs. Ollie Robinson, who shared the new ball with Stuart Broad, left the field midway citing injury concerns.

Broad himself struck twice on the day, with the legendary fast bowler curtailing Warner and Smith’s stay at the crease to inch closer to his 600-wicket mark in Tests.

England lose three amidst another BazBall pursuit

As has been the case for over a year, England employed their aggressive ‘BazBall’ philosophy despite being left to survive an entire session of the opening day. Opener Ben Duckett was the first to depart in the innings courtesy of Pat Cummins’ new-ball and Alex Carey’s wicketkeeping brilliances.

The Australian skipper also removed Harry Brook a while later, before Mitchell Marsh claimed the prized-wicket of Zak Crawley to sum a perfect all-round day for himself.

By stumps, the hosts reached 68-3, with Joe Root and wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow batting at the crease. They find themselves another 195 runs behind Australia’s first-innings effort, as they aim to keep this series alive, at least for another week.

Brief Scores:

Australia: 263 all out (60.4)
Mitchell Marsh 118 (118), Travis Head 39 (74)
Mark Wood 5-34 (11.4), Chris Woakes 3-73 (17)

England: 68-3 (19)
Zak Crawley 33 (39), Joe Root 19* (43)
Pat Cummins 2-28 (6), Mitchell Marsh 1-9 (3)

England trail by 195 runs