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Cricket PlayersWatch: Ben Stokes left flabbergasted as Zak Crawley gives blistering Bazball welcome to Australia in 1st Ashes Test
How do you introduce the most talked about phenomenon in world cricket? For a concept like Bazball, you do it in style, or as the name suggests.
How do you introduce the most talked about phenomenon in world cricket? Slowly? No. For a concept like Bazball, you do it in style, or as the name suggests. Well, that is what England opener Zak Crawley pulled off in the very first ball of the 2023 Ashes series which left captain Ben Stokes absolutely flabbergasted. On Friday, one of the most anticipated Ashes Test series of recent times kicked off on Friday at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham where England hosted newly-crowned World Test Championship winners Australia. The Test match marked the beginning of the third cycle of the WTC. (The Ashes 1st Test Day 1 Live Score)
After winning the toss, Stokes invited the visitors to bowl first on what looks like an "ODI pitch" as claimed by veteran Sri Lanka cricketer Kumar Sangakkara, who is in England as part of the commentary team. Australia skipper Pat Cummins kicked off the proceedings with the new ball while Crawley took strike with Ben Duckett on the other end of the crease.
Cummins dished out a fuller ball wide outside the off stump and while 99 per cent of batters would leave that delivery, Crawley smashed it hard through the cover for a boundary. Edgbaston crowd immediately roared loud at England's stunning Bazball welcome for Australia.
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Stokes, who was comfortably seated in the pavilion, was left stupefied at the sight and then began laughing. England's Twitter handle later shared a video of it with the caption: "We were all Stokesy there...”
Australia made only one change in the line-up based on what they featured in the WTC Final against India last week - Mitchell Starc out and Josh Hazlewood in - which implied that Scott Boland, who impressed in the Oval game retained his spot. England, on the other hand, was happy to welcome back Moeen Ali back into the XI.
"Very proud to be here with all the hype around, very special moment for me and the team. It has been tough at times with the energy, but that has been something we are good at in the past. Happy to have Mo back, unfortunate injury to Leachy. I've seen Mo produce some great performances in the past, we know what he can bring to the team," he said after winning the toss.
