Jonny Bairstow stated that he had no inkling that Ben Stokes was contemplating the declaration that ended England’s innings on 393 for eight, caused chaotic scenes in the dressing room, and left Australia’s openers with an awkward 20 minutes to see out on the first day of the Ashes series. Australia’s openers successfully navigated the awkward 20 minutes to reach 14 without loss.
“We knew nothing about it,” Bairstow stated. “I’m sure he had a few conversations with Brendon [McCullum] and the bowlers, but one of them took place out in the middle, so it’s unlikely that many people knew about it, and I certainly didn’t. It was a mad dash to apply the adhesive, the pads, and everything else. But when you least anticipate it, it can be the most effective form of attack. It’s a chance in the dark, right? Tomorrow, we will return with a four-over ball, a new bowling attack, and a motivated team.
Joe Root, unbroken on 118, hit two sixes off Nathan Lyon in the final over before the innings was called.
Australia was pleased with how they countered England’s aggressive batting, according to Josh Hazlewood. “Once Joe reached his century and played a few shots I knew it was coming,” he added. “It’s excellent to play [against] a different style of cricket, but I don’t believe we got as involved as we could have if things went wrong. We’ll learn throughout the season, but we’re going to stick with what we’ve been doing for the past two years because it’s undoubtedly working.”
Bairstow struck 78 runs from 78 deliveries in his first England innings since a devastating leg injury last year. Together with Root, he helped England recover from a precarious 176 for five to 297 for six. “There were a few nerves, but once I found my flow and got into the fight, it was a lot of fun to be out there again,” he said. “There was excitement over returning to the big stage, the great dance, and playing in a home Ashes series.
“You recall the difficult times you endured, the somber days when the sun sets at 3:30 p.m. Those are the times you look back on and say, “I’m glad I put in the work to be able to play in the first Ashes Test and have some fun.”
