Pat Cummins and Ben Stokes. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
The Edgbaston encounter between arch-rivals England and Australia witnessed the Aussies get over the line in a thrilling finish. Despite the heartbreaking loss England skipper Ben Stokes has fired a stern warning to the visitors for the upcoming matches.
England’s Ashes opener against Australia in Birmingham encapsulated the history and drama of the iconic series as a full house crowd at Edgbaston got their money’s worth after five days of high-octane cricket. While question marks have been raised about Ben Stokes’ declaration on the first day, the English skipper is proud of the fight his team showed in the series opener.
Although Australia got over the line in a frenetic finish, Stokes fired a warning to the visitors, stating that the Three Lions will continue with their relentless approach in the series. The enigmatic all-rounder took pride in his team’s performance, labelling the series opener as an unforgettable affair.
“A loss is a loss. We stuck to our guns in terms of how we were going to operate and we are going to keep coming to Australia in the way that we did. I am very proud. To take it to the end of day five like that… it was a rollercoaster, so up and down. It is another one of the games we will never forget being a part of over the last year,” Stokes said in the post-match presentation.
Pat Cummins wins the battle of the captains
It was the golden arm of the England skipper that landed a severe blow to Australian chances after the defiant Usman Khawaja walked back to the pavilion. However, Stokes’ opposite number, Pat Cummins, proved his weight in gold, helping his side to a famous victory, extinguishing the ghosts of the 2005 loss at this very venue. Stokes did have a potentially match-changing moment when he almost hung on to a stunning catch to dismiss Nathan Lyon with Australia still needing 36 runs.