The Ashes 2023, arguably one of the most memorable spectacles in cricket history, has come to a close with England defeating Australia by 49 runs in the final Test at The Oval. Right from the very first ball of the series that Zack Crawley crashed to the boundary line, a lot has happened on and off the field in an eventful clash between two titans of the world.
‘To each, their own’ is a phrase that has relevance to the way the Ashes was played.
While the home side came out all guns blazing with its famed Bazball ploy, the visitors replied with their own style of dominance through a mixture of attrition and calculated risks.
Brendon McCullum’s side had the intent to score at a quick pace right from the word go. The Aussies stuck to their plans and scored at their own pace.
Two different brands
“We saw two different brands, both teams stuck to it and it is great that Test cricket is thriving the way it is. We felt at different stages that it looked a bit different to traditional Test cricket,” said Australia’s Player-of-the-Series Mitchell Starc after the fifth Test.
Both teams gave their best and the end result — with the final scoreline reading 2-2 — seems fair and unfair at the same time to either side.
The urn is going down under, but it is a tale of what could’ve been for both the teams as this series could’ve ended anywhere between 4-0 and 0-4 given the closeness of all the matches except the rain-curtailed drawn fourth Test in Manchester. Both camps would be having mixed feelings about the final outcome of the series as just a hint of luck would have created history for one or the other.
Lost opportunity
Pat Cummins’ men retained the Ashes by virtue of being the defending champion, but they would certainly be looking at this tour as a lost opportunity to win an away Ashes series for the first time since 2001.
Victory escaped them tantalisingly in Headingley and The Oval, and the fact that this was probably the last chance for some of Australia’s stalwarts like Steve Smith and David Warner to tick the box for an away Ashes series win would hurt the side that much more.
THE GIST
“Two really high-quality teams, every session was shared so I think 2-2 was fair. We said we were over here to win the Ashes. Unfortunately not to be. We can be hugely proud of retaining the urn, but of course we wanted to come over here and win. Not to be, but a great series,” said Cummins after the final Test.
Missing Lyon
One of the reasons England could make a miraculous comeback after the first two Tests was the visitors losing off-spinner Nathan Lyon due to an injury at Lord’s. The visitors’ weakness was exposed with this whereas England strengthened its team with the inclusion of Chris Woakes, who won England’s Player of the Series award, Mark Wood and Moeen Ali.
Even though Mitchell Marsh and off-spinner Todd Murphy stepped up when needed, Lyon’s guile at one end of the pitch was missed as England had its way in attacking the weakened Aussie bowling line-up.
This series had a bittersweet touch for the home side as well. While it can be proud of the way the team bounced back after being 0-2 down, a series win was on the cards and the double-edged sword in the form of Bazball meant that England was always vulnerable to a more methodical Australia.
The same strategy that cost the English side in the first Test when it declared early in the first innings to take quick wickets also helped it be at its best, as evidenced by, among others, breathtaking knocks from Stokes and Crawley.
Prolific Broad
The series will also be remembered for Stuart Broad, who announced his retirement from cricket during the final Test. He walks away as the most prolific English bowler in Ashes history with 153 Aussie wickets to his name in 40 matches. Rivals Australia giving a guard of honour to Broad as he walked out to bat for one final time, with fellow fast bowler James Anderson alongside him, was indeed a sight to behold from this series.
Apart from retirements and the conflicting modus operandi, the Ashes 2023 also had its fair share of controversies which will be remembered for a long time.
The first major debate of the series came in the second Test when wicketkeeper Alex Carey stumped Jonny Bairstow who wandered out of his crease before the ball was called dead. Tempers flared high as even the Prime Ministers of both countries had a say in whether Carey’s actions were in the ‘spirit of the game’.
The final Test saw England getting a replacement ball that was harder compared to what was being used, which arguably gave the home side an advantage to bowl out Australia. There were reports that England refused to come out for customary post-series drinks after the final Test as well. However, Stokes has clarified that the teams decided to meet up later outside rather than in the dressing room.
All things considered, the question of what Ashes 2023 will be known for is anyone’s guess. But, remembered it will be, for it had the best of cricket on display as well as the side stories that give the game its vibrant life.
