England's hopes of starting the Ashes series with a victory were dashed in dramatic fashion as Australia pulled off a stunning two-wicket win in the first Test at Edgbaston. Chasing 281 for victory, the visitors looked down and out at 227-8, but captain Pat Cummins produced a counter-attacking innings of 44 not out to guide his team home with just four overs to spare.
The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, with England having dominated large parts of the contest. Ben Stokes's side seemed to have the upper hand when they reduced Australia to 227-8, but Cummins and Nathan Lyon (16 not out) added 55 runs for the ninth wicket to snatch victory. The winning runs came off Ollie Robinson, with Harry Brook fumbling the ball on the boundary to allow Cummins to complete the chase.
The result was a bitter pill for England, who had several chances to seal the win. Stuart Broad thought he had Lyon caught by Stokes in the deep, but the England captain spilled the catch, a moment that proved costly. The parallels to the 2005 Ashes were evident, but this time the luck went against the home side.
Australia's victory was built on a magnificent 141 from Usman Khawaja, who batted with immense patience and skill. He was eventually dismissed by Stokes, but his innings kept Australia in the hunt. Cummins, who had been on the receiving end of Stokes's heroics at Headingley four years ago, turned the tables with a brilliant unbeaten knock.
The match was a testament to the drama and unpredictability of Test cricket. England's aggressive 'Bazball' approach had them in control for much of the game, but Australia's resilience and Cummins's captain's knock proved decisive. The series is now finely poised, with the second Test set to take place at Lord's.
