Stuart Broad got England’s must-win Third Ashes Test off to a flying start as he dismissed David Warner in the first over at Headingley.
Warner pushed the first ball of the day down the ground for four, but was out four balls later, nicking to Zak Crawley at slip and falling to Broad for the 16th time in Test cricket.
Earlier, Australia captain Pat Cummins was booed at the toss as the Test got underway, with hostilities ramped up here. England are smarting following the controversy around Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal on the final day of their Second Test defeat at Lord’s on Sunday and are fighting to keep the series alive in Leeds, scene of some of their most famous Ashes triumphs.
For the third game in a row, Ben Stokes won the toss and on this occasion elected to bowl, leaving Australian openers Usman Khawaja and Warner to face further jeers on their way to the crease. “It’s an amazing place to play cricket,” Stokes said, ahead of the start of play. “We know that the Western Terrace get behind us. We love playing cricket here.”
Stokes’s side have no margin for error as they look to become only the second team in Ashes history to come from 2-0 down to claim the Urn. The first was Don Bradman’s great Australian side of 1936-37, with only two other teams having even come close, Australia twice in the late 19th Century fighting back from 2-0 down to level the series before losing a Fifth Test decider.
A draw in Leeds would be enough to see Australia retain the Urn and England were in need of a fast start on day one, with significant rain forecast over the weekend likely to take time out of the game.
Australia followed the home side’s lead in confirming three changes to their line-up, with all-rounder Mitch Marsh handed a surprise recall four years on from his last cap.
Bowler Scott Boland is also back in the side, in place of the rested Josh Hazlewood, as the tourists juggle their seam options, while Todd Murphy is in for Nathan Lyon after the spinner’s series was ended by a calf injury in the Second Test at Lord’s. The problem prevented Lyon from bowling in the second innings of that game and all-rounder Cameron Green was among those forced to pick up the slack.
Green, who has a history of back problems, bowled 13 overs across several short-pitch spells and has failed to recover from that effort in time, with just a three-day gap between Tests.
That has opened the door for Marsh, who made the most recent of his 32 Test appearances in the finale of the 2019 Ashes at the Kia Oval, though he has been a key part of Australia’s white-ball set-up since, including during the T20 World Cup triumph of 2022.
England announced their team on Tuesday morning, also shaking up their bowling attack, with the introductions of Mark Wood and Chris Woakes for the first time in the series, as well as recalling Moeen Ali, having gone into the Lord’s Test with an all-seam attack. Moeen had also suffered a badly-blistered spinning finger at Edgbaston but had been fit to play at Lord’s.
Seamers James Anderson and Josh Tongue have been rested, with youngster Harry Brook promoted to bat at No3 as part of the re-jig after vice-captain Ollie Pope was ruled out for the summer with a dislocated shoulder.
Headingley chiefs have promised additional security this week to counter the twin threats of fan trouble on the back of the Lord’s controversy and further protests after Just Stop Oil activists disrupted the Second Test with a pitch invasion on the opening morning.
“The well-being of players, officials and spectators is paramount, and we are implementing appropriate measures to do everything within our control to keep everyone safe,” a spokesperson said.
Stokes’s side were looking to draw inspiration from England’s women, who last night kept their own slim Ashes hopes alive with a first win over Australia in four years.
