Brook’s bemusement
Harry Brook had scored 32 runs at almost a run a ball and looked in sublime touch when a Nathan Lyon delivery somehow hit a thigh pad, bounced high over his shoulder, landed on the back of his leg and deflected into the stumps. A complete fluke.
Stokes declares after Root hits form
England were 393 for 8 in their first innings, with Joe Root purring on 118 and Ollie Robinson batting with real poise and control at the other end, when Ben Stokes called them in. They could have batted for six more overs that day but instead they chose to bowl four at Australia - Stokes called this their “chance to pounce”. They achieved little in that time, and a few extra runs would have been handy in the end.
The fumbles
Australia’s first innings in particular was punctuated by missed chances behind the stumps. Cameron Green could have been stumped by Jonny Bairstow for a second-ball duck and scored 38; Alex Carey was dropped twice and scored 66. In the second innings Usman Khawaja edged to Bairstow’s left in the first over. The keeper didn’t move and Khawaja went on to score 65.
The mis-steps
There have been 17 years, and 214 Test matches, since England last bowled as many as 23 no-balls in a game. Almost 11 years have passed since Australia last benefited from so many. In the last decade England have, on average, bowled just over three per Test; at Edgbaston Stuart Broad alone bowled 11. Australia, meanwhile, bowled only four, and in total gave away 19 extras to England’s 44.
The weather
Across five days of largely benign conditions for batting there was one, wild 20-minute period when the ground was blanketed in thick, dark cloud and the ball zipped and zinged. It was England’s misfortune that it happened towards the start of their second innings, which contributed to them losing both their openers.
The spinner’s finger
Moeen Ali replaced the injured Jack Leach in the side, but two years after his last first-class game he was not used to bowling for long periods with the pronounced seam of the Dukes ball. He wore a hole in his spinning finger, affecting his bowling, and in the end Joe Root did most of the spin bowling on the final day.
Cummins goes big
Pat Cummins was on eight, Nathan Lyon on two, and Australia still 51 runs away from victory. Joe Root had bowled 14 overs for just 29 runs, but the second new ball was due and England had to decide: give Root one more over, or let rip with the seamers? They went with option one, and Cummins creamed two sixes to kick-start the match-winning partnership.
The drop
Just two balls into the following over Nathan Lyon pulled a Stuart Broad short ball towards Ben Stokes at square leg. Australia still needed 36. The England captain backpedalled, leapt, stretched, caught it - and then uncaught it again. It was the last clear wicket-taking chance, and Lyon and Pat Cummins went on to guide Australia to victory.
