England undeterred despite Australia's short-ball barrage

Ben Duckett hits 98 as England end Day 2 of Lord's Test at 278/4, 138 runs behind Australia's first innings tally

Seven days into the Ashes, and batting hasn’t looked easier. Australia and England have now scored at least 250 every time they have batted. An overall run rate of 3.77 at Edgbaston and now 4.31 at Lord’s—the averages are already peaking unprecedented levels. Steve Smith is back among runs, so are David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne while Travis Head is yet to be dismissed by a pacer. England too seem to have finally resolved their opening conundrum after Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett combined for 91—England’s best Ashes opening stand since 2013. Only, none of these have come against exceptional bowling.

Steve Smith is back among runs (AP)

“Bazball” effect, most will point out. Look closely though, and one might be moved to argue that England’s cricket revolution is largely hinged on tinkering with one of the bedrocks of the game: the pitch. If James Anderson labelled the Edgbaston track as his “kryptonite”, the second-day pitch at Lord’s was the proverbial damp squib—up and down, aiding little or no lateral movement and downright sluggish. Overcast conditions help the ball seam but unless the pitch offers any zip, it’s of no use to seamers. That’s why, cloudy or sunny, Lord’s has always offered something to bowlers in the past. Not this time though.

On Wednesday, Anderson swung the ball 2.3 degrees and Broad 1.8, more than they ever have at Lord’s in the last three years. Yet they went wicketless as Australia arm-twisted England into submission. On Thursday, when the sun came out at St John’s after noon, further beating down on an already rolled pitch to turn it into a featherbed, it was England’s turn. Blessing of all blessings, neither side has the level of spinner to cause any discomfort. Joe Root isn’t a specialist. And Nathan Lyon was ruled out of the day’s play—and possibly the Test as well—after injuring his calf. Which basically left the fast bowlers doing all the heavy lifting.

No cloud cover meant Australia were targeting good length areas at the beginning. Till tea, they had bowled 56% on a good length, compared to England who were bowling fuller lengths 34% of the entire first innings. But the horizontal shots were still flowing. Duckett, who has left the ball less than any opener from either side since 2020, was prolific through square and point. Crawley, on the other hand, was looking absolutely sublime leaning into his drives, all because the ball wasn’t moving enough. Lack of pace was becoming a factor too. Till Mitchell Starc had clocked 141 kph in the morning session, no bowler from either side had averaged over 140 kph. Predictably, Australia resorted to the oldest trick in the book—bowling short and putting fielders at fine-leg. Cameron Green touched 141 kph in the last session but Ollie Pope still had ample time to go back and across to pull it fine. Next time though, Green was straighter, and Pope pulled again, this time however the ball caught the toe-end and flew to Smith at deep backward square-leg.

By this time, Australia’s short ball percentage had shot up to more than 80% but so single-minded were England in their pursuit of playing the aerial shot that Joe Root—a modern great and possibly the last of that conservative mould—compulsively pulled Green off the first ball he had faced. Next ball, another bouncer, this time a miscued pull, and Alex Carey made no mistake in catching Root, only to find out Green had overstepped. By the end of the day, he had conceded six no-balls.

It was the only blip in an otherwise monotonous and predictable phase of the game where Australia were content bowling only short and England relying on their horizontal shots more and more. So much so that at one point in time Australian radio commentator Jim Maxwell described it as “the most bizarre hour's cricket I have ever seen—this is madness at the home of cricket.” What might have seemed bizarre to the world couldn’t have dented England because they were still reaping runs, scoring at nearly five an over at times, courtesy largely the shots behind the wicket. Duckett’s most successful shot was the pull as well, accounting for 23 runs by the time he was on 98, till he decided to reach his hundred off another pull but was cramped into top-edging Josh Hazlewood to Warner at fine-leg. Root too finally departed to a mistimed pull but there was no stopping Harry Brook who was joined by Ben Stokes who was unbeaten on 17 as England ended the second day on 278/4, still trailing Australia by 138 runs.

The lead could have been bigger though and Smith knew that. For only he could be as dismayed as he was after being dismissed on 110, chasing a Josh Tongue pitched-up delivery to Duckett at gully. By then, Australia were crumbling as Broad and Anderson exploited the conditions to quickly remove Alex Carey and Starc. Pat Cummins was unbeaten on 22 and even though Australia went past the 400-run mark there is little doubt where they could have gone if Smith had been around till the clouds had gone.