England, Australia get bowled out on opening day in Test cricket

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New Delhi: The opening day of the test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) turned into a historic and dramatic moment when thousands of fans witnessed as both Australia and England were bowled out. Creating rare moment in the history of Test cricket after 116 years.

In front of the massive crowd of over 94,000 spectators, fans witnessed an unpredictable day, something that has not happened at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. For the first time since 1909, 20 or more wickets fell on the opening day of an Ashes Test.

While it was tough to bat in such tough conditions, players like Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey showed it wasn’t impossible. The duo batted for more than 40 deliveries each and the remained the only two to do so among batsmen from both teams as the fast bowlers had a lot of fun at MCG.

England were dismissed after struggling to handle the Australian bowling attack, which made full use of the conditions. In response, Australia too failed to settle at the crease as England’s bowlers struck back strongly, ensuring there was no breathing space for the batters.

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Harry Brook had walked out at eight for three in the fifth over and scored 41 runs, including two sixes. Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were the only other men to reach double figures.

Michael Neser claimed four wickets, Scott Boland three, with the silliness of the day summed up by Boland then opening the batting as night-watchman.

Cricket experts and fans alike described the day as “crazy” and “unreal,” highlighting how rare it is for both teams to be bowled out on the very first day of a Test match. The match is now finely poised heading into Day 2, with momentum swinging both ways.

Wickets kept falling at regular intervals, keeping the atmosphere electric inside the stadium throughout the day. The unusual sequence of events made Day 1 one of the most memorable opening days in recent Test history at the MCG.

Also Read: Aussie Veteran Usman Khawaja Completes 8,000 International Runs

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