The tens of thousands of England supporters in Brisbane could have been forgiven for thinking their team had a fighting chance in the second Ashes test at the Gabba. When Joe Root elegantly picked up his first century on Australian soil on day one, the tourists seemed well and truly in the fight. But then, familiar woes resurfaced.
After amassing a first innings score of 344 all out, their best in years in the Land Down Under, England had Australia on the ropes. However, a reluctance to pitch the ball up and bring the stumps into play with the ball saw the Baggy Greens drag themselves back into contention. At 329/6 on day three, the game was on a knife-edge, but England persisted with their short bowling tactic, and Mitchell Starc duly made them pay for their sins.
Starc Brilliance Crushes English Hopes
The Aussie fast bowler had already shone with the ball, taking six English wickets on day one. Then, he took over with the bat, despite not being recognized as a specialist batsman. Starc proceeded to hit a stunning 77, top-scoring for the hosts and taking the second test away from England. His effort gave his side a mighty 177-run lead ahead of the second innings, and his side would go on to close the game out in comfortable fashion.
Former England fast bowler and now prominent cricketer Jonthan Agnew proclaimed that “Bazball is dead” in the aftermath of the defeat, Bazball being England’s now infamous brand of fast-paced cricket under head coach Brednan McCullum. Indeed, the English may well be better off if they parted company with the Kiwi. Insights from the popular ignitiongaming.net/au/ suggest that a change in management can provide renewed motivation, something desperately needed if the tourists are to turn this series around.
But rather than focusing on the doom and gloom of the tourists, an equal amount of praise should be given to the Aussies, and in particular, the sensational Mitchell Starc. While the fast bowler’s eight wickets across two innings were impressive, it was that stunning 77 with the bat that truly won his side this game. But how many other Aussie tailenders have managed similarly spectacular performances with the bat in an Ashes series? Let’s take a look.
Ashton Agar’s Stunning Debut
Back in 2013, it was England who were the dominant force in this rivalry, not Australia. In 2010/11, England had just claimed the urn in the land down under for the first time since 1987. When the Aussies headed north in a bid to reclaim the ashes, they did so as huge underdogs.
With Shane Warne long retired, the Australian selectors turned to teenage leg-spinner Ashton Agar in a bid to pick up wickets. But on his debut in the first Ashes test at Trent Bridge, the full-time spin bowler did damage with the bat. The 19-year-old came in at number 11 in the order, the spot traditionally given to the worst batsman on the team.
That’s what the Aussie selectors thought Agar was, and when he came in to bat with his team reeling at 117/9, it seemed as though an embarrassment was on the cards. Then, the unthinkable happened.
Batting alongside the late-great Phillip Hughes, Agar took the fight to the English bowlers. He hit 12 fours and two sixes as part of a record-breaking 163-run tenth wicket stand in which he personally piled up a scarcely believable 98 runs. In fact, he very nearly completed perhaps the most stunning century in Ashes history, but was caught on the boundary attempting to heave Graham Swann for one more six.
But Agar’s heroics weren’t enough to secure victory. England would go on to win by just 14 runs, with their triumph echoing the Edgbaston epic of 2005. They would also go on to win the series by three games to nil.
Pat Cummins Steers Australia to Victory
Speaking of Edgbaston, the most recent clash there between these two storied rivals back in 2023 was another contest for the ages. In the first innings, England surprisingly declared on a score of 393, and Australia proceeded to make the hosts pay. They managed to score 386 runs of their own, and while they couldn’t give themselves a first innings lead, they made England regret not attempting to score more runs with their final two wickets in hand.
In the second innings, England were bowled out for just 273, with no player on the team managing more than 46 runs, opening the door for a stunning Australian victory. The Baggy Greens needed 280 to win, but when Usman Khawaja was removed 71 runs from home, the alarm bells were ringing. In one’s hour of need, who better to turn to than the captain?
In came fast bowler and skipper Pat Cummins, and he duly steadied the ship. Rather than being overawed by the pressure, Cummins played a captain’s innings. Even when Alex Carey was dismissed 53 runs adrift of the target, the skipper remained composed. Alongside fellow tailender Nathan Lyon, Cummins managed a composed 44 not out, hitting the required runs to steer his side to victory.
