James Anderson throws the bowl during the fifth day of the first Ashes test in Edgbaston. Credits: PA/Martin Rickett
This is the Ashes series. This is a big deal. When you play on a flat field like Edgbaston and you take the wicket, there's a little more emotion because you've worked so hard for it. This is all that happened to Ollie Robinson and Usman Khawaja.
This pitch was like kryptonite for me. There was no backswing, no backswing, no seam, no bounce, no tempo. Over the years, I tried to hone my skills to play in any conditions, but everything I tried made no difference. I felt like I was fighting an uphill battle.
There was some rust, but I did my best. After playing for a long time, I realized that you can't take wickets in every game. Sometimes it's not your week. I thought so.
It's a long streak and hopefully I'll be able to contribute at some point, but if all the pitches are like this, I'm done with the Ashes streak. I know I haven't been at my best this week. It wasn't my best performance. I know I have more to offer and contribute to the team. I want to catch up at Lord's and all I can do is come on Sunday and get ready for the game.
The body felt good enough. There is some rigidity, but I attribute it to unique conditions. We ran down a very soft outfield and then landed on a hard field, and it took a toll on the body more than usual. All bowlers felt it a little.
I didn't pick up a new ball either in the first inning or at the end of the last day. I talked to Ben Stokes about my feelings. We agreed that this was the type of field that taller bowlers had more fun on. I totally agreed with that.
Ollie didn't do anything wrong when he had his moment with Khawaja. In fact, I stood in the middle of the game for most of the game and didn't hear anything inappropriate from either team.
This encouraged several former Australian cricketers who had to work hard. say in the media. This is fine. I am sure that I will do it as a former player. You must keep your name in the papers and keep getting the job. This was to be expected. As the series progresses, more and more people will be doing this kind of thing.
Ollie Robinson celebrating Usman Khawaja's bowling victory. Photo: Getty Images/Shaun Botterill
I don't want Ollie to change. I like it when it lights up. When he's in that mood, he plays better. I know from personal experience that I play better when I'm a little more aggressive and intense.
I stepped in to chat with Ollie as he and Usman traded in the second inning. It was delicate, they were just talking about cricket.
Whenever I watched cricket as a kid, I wanted to see the action-packed bowlers. It makes theater better and much more enjoyable to watch. Everyone is simply encouraged to be themselves in our team. Some people don't like to get into a verbal battle. Some do. Robbo excels at this.
After the fourth day, Brandon McCallum said that we had already won, regardless of the result, due to people's reaction to the way we played and the fact that we stuck to our style. After all the hoopla, it can be very easy to dive into your shell at Ashes. The first morning was different from the games we've been playing for the past 12 months. There was more tension, more pressure, but once we got used to it, we played exactly the way we had been playing for the last 12 months, and Ben and Brandon were proud of it.
After every day, the crowd went home happy. . We've all had messages from people who aren't into cricket but couldn't stop watching it. People with kids who have never played cricket now want an England jersey.
It feels like the way we play works. Obviously, we know we want to win, we will be judged by the result, but as a team it is good that we judge ourselves by our game. We played excellent cricket for four days and three quarters; Australia just managed to cross the line. Even Pat Cummins said he wasn't sure which side played cricket better. We know who started all this.
It all started with the first ball, when Zach Crowley hit Cummins four times. It was brilliant, one of my favorite moments in cricket. The noise he made right off the bat, the reaction of the crowd, the reaction of the dressing room was unbelievable. He will stay with us for a long time.
What a BEGINNING of the #Ash series!
Zach Crawley scores the first goal through the covers for four! 💥 pic.twitter.com/NeHReM6NAY
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket), June 16, 2023
Yes, the ball was there to be hit, but you still have to hit. I've seen a lot of first balls in the Ashes series and people can get really nervous. Look at Rory Burns in the latest episode. The fact that Zach was confident that he had removed it speaks volumes.
I was waiting for Ben to announce that my pads were ready. He said he would claim the same position against any team in the world, so why should the Ashes series be any different? It was a positive move.
After losing a tight game, you think about what you could have done better. You are thinking about a small margin. But after such an amazing game, you can't be too self-critical. There were so many positive things to look back on.
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