Ashes 2021 first test result: Australia def England by 9 wickets to take 1-0 lead

With Australia looking to nurse Josh Hazlewood through the Ashes series, Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser have come into play for Adelaide. Which one would deserve the nod? Vote now! 

Australia has vanquished its Gabba demons with powerful demolition of England, but Josh Hazlewood is in serious doubt to play the second Test.

Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser are firmly in the frame for a Test call-up for the pink ball Test in Adelaide starting next Thursday, with Australian captain Pat Cummins conceding chief weapon Hazlewood must be managed carefully through the series after suffering a minor side strain.

Cummins – the first out and out fast bowler to win a Test match as Australian captain – said no decision would be made on Hazlewood until he is assessed on Sunday, but it’s clear the home side wants to play the long game with their most consistent quick after nursing him through the dominant nine-wicket first Test win.

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Richardson would appear next cab off the rank, but Neser – fresh from taking five wickets against the English Lions – is in with a massive show to get a Test debut instead given he is perhaps the more like-for-like replacement for the ultra-consistent Hazlewood.

“I think we’ll wait and see how he wakes up in the morning. I think a key is we don’t want to put him in jeopardy for the whole series,” said Cummins.

“We’ll take our time, he had a scan last night (Friday) so we’ll work through that, he bowled out there today (Saturday). There’s no plan yet. We’ll sleep on it, see how he pulls up tomorrow.

Pat Cummins had a fine match in his debut as Australian captain. PIcture: Getty

“There’s nothing scary enough (in the scan result) to not bowl today but still a little bit just to make us want to manage him a little bit.

“He (Hazlewood) is a little bit sore. It was good he came out today and was able to bowl and got through a really good spell but he’s a little bit sore so just managing him through a five Test match summer.

“He’s key for us, so we didn’t want to blow him out of the water on day three.”

The good news is David Warner (bruised ribs) is likely to back up in Adelaide despite not batting in Australia’s measly chase of a 20-run fourth innings victory target to win just after lunch on day four.

After 400-wicket man Nathan Lyon (4-91), captain Cummins, rookie Cameron Green and even walking wounded Hazlewood blazed through England to take 8-77 and have them bowled out before lunch – it was pointless to risk Warner, who would have required pain-killers to bat.

Nathan Lyon was made to wait for his 400th Test wicket - but then ripped England to pieces. Picture: Getty

“Davey was available to bat. We just chose not to risk him. I think he had a hit here earlier,” said Cummins, with Usman Khawaja on standby.

“He got through it. He’s still pretty sore but should be right for Adelaide. We’ll monitor him but I think he’ll be fine.”

Debutant Alex Carey only enhanced a dream start to his Test career where he claimed a world record eight dismissals by putting his hand up to open in Warner’s place, although he was the only wicket to fall before Marcus Harris smashed a four to complete a comprehensive first Test rout.

Travis Head was man of the match for his stunning 152 off 148 in the first innings which turned the momentum of the match, but the huge positive for Cummins was the number of contributors, showing how much the team has grown since last summer’s embarrassing capitulation to India at the same Gabba venue.

Cummins himself took seven wickets on his captaincy debut, Mitchell Starc blew the roof off the Gabba with his wicket off the first ball, while Marnus Labuschagne (74) and Warner (94) set the heavy duty platform Australia required.

Josh Hazlewood is in serious doubt for the second Test.

Then after an agonising 18 months stuck in the 390s, Australia’s greatest ever off-spinner Lyon broke the shackles to claim Dawid Malan (82) for his 400th wicket milestone, before winding back the clock to bowl Australia towards a momentum-building victory.

Cummins was urged to bowl by vice-captain Steve Smith – and immediately claimed the wicket of Ben Stokes – a sign their leadership dynamic is off to a good start.

After England put them under the pump late on day three, lessons were learnt from the Gabba loss to India.

“I was really happy with how we stuck at it. We put a lot into yesterday and we were really calm, turned up this morning, still focused and calm. There was no panic and we just got our rewards this morning for the hard work from yesterday,” said Cummins, who was also full of praise for the bowling performance of Green who claimed the prized wicket of Joe Root (89).

“We did what we did best and tried to own the top of off stump, fourth stump. I think that’s one lesson just stay at plan a for as long as we can.”

After disappearing from the attack for nearly 40 overs at the end of day three, Hazlewood bravely rolled the arm over for six overs on day four, and despite being down on pace, still hit his line and length with typical precision.

It shows Hazlewood isn’t seriously injured, but his limited preparation coming off the Twenty20 World Cup may have come back to bite him.

Australia has spoken about having a squad mentality for this series, and with the entire fast bowling attack coming in without any red ball preparation, it would seem to make sense to utilise either Richardson or Neser in Adelaide if there is even slight concern over Hazlewood’s fitness.

For Neser, it would be a Test debut, conditions he would relish under lights, while Richardson is the form domestic bowler in Australia and proved he was a Test star in the making against Sri Lanka a couple of summers ago.

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Originally published as Ashes 2021 first test result: Australia def England by 9 wickets to take 1-0 lead

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