Only 46.5 overs were bowled on Day 1 due to rain interruption, but Australia are off to a decent start in Sydney.
Having confirmed yet another Ashes title in their cabinet, Australia are now keen on delivering the fourth-ever Ashes clean sweep. In that pursuit, the 4th Test got underway at the Sydney Cricket Ground, but not a lot of cricket transpired due to unfavourable weather conditions.
However, the Aussies found themselves in a decent position at the end of day 1, which saw just more than half of the mandatory overs being bowled.
England made just one change to their line-up, bringing in Stuart Broad to partner James Anderson, Mark Wood and Jack Leach.
Ollie Robinson made the way out for the senior cricketer, and Australia had to keep out Travis Head, who had tested positive for the coronavirus. Usman Khawaja came in his position in the middle order.
Run scoring wasn’t easy in the early parts of the day. Both batters found it difficult to tackle the new ball brilliance of Anderson and Stuart Broad. The duo added a fifty partnership, where David Warner did bulk of the scoring. He did play some delightful shots whenever he found that little room and kept the scorecard moving.
Warner eventually fell to his old nemesis Broad, going for a wide delivery outside off and edged it straight to the second slips where Zak Crawley completed a good catch. Marnus Labuschagne joined the proceedings, and the 27-year-old, alongside Marcus Harris, ensured the English bowlers did not take the upper hand.
The duo cautiously added 60 runs for the second wicket but fell in quick succession. Harris walked back first, who just couldn’t cope with Anderson’s swing and edged it to Root in the slip cordon. This wicket made Anderson the first-ever bowler to pick a wicket in 20 successive calendar years, surpassing Muttiah Muralitharan, who did so in 19 successive years.
In the very next over, Labuschagne punched Wood towards covers for a delightful boundary before edging it to the keeper by failing to read the incoming delivery.
Steve Smith and Khawaja remained in the middle at the end of day’s play, with Australia getting to 126 for the loss of three wickets. The three English frontline seamers picked up one wicket each.
