Key takeaways from Day 1 of fifth Ashes 2019 Test
Jos Buttler's gritty display towards the end of third session rescued England from a position of bother on Day 1 of the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval. England ended the day at 271/8 after 82 overs. They were 226/8 at one stage before Buttler hit an unbeaten 64. Mitchell Marsh (4/35) was the chief architect. Here's more.
Root makes Aussies pay with a decent 57
Australian fielders dropped Joe Root (57) on three occasions. This helped the hosts to get some much needed runs. Root shared a strong 76-run stand with Rory Burns (47). The England skipper surpassed the 7,000-run mark in Test cricket and took advantage of some sloppy fielding especially before lunch. He put England in a decent position before being castled by Cummins.
Australian bowlers stand up against England
Australian pacers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were terrific and picked up two wickets each. Cummins saw Root get dropped twice earlier. However, he toiled hard and got his man which changed the situation. Cummins raced to 26 wickets in Ashes 2019. From 170/3, England collapsed to 226/8. Mitchell Marsh made a sound return and bowled superbly. He varied his lengths and attacked England.
Buttler rescues England with a brisk half-century
Buttler showed his credentials once again with the bat. The versatile wicket-keeper batsman launched a sensational counter-attack to floor the good work done by the Aussies. He smashes six fours and three sixes. Buttler's unbeaten 45-run stand with Jack Leach gave England something to cheer for. The hosts are in a position where they can get past the 300-run mark.
How did Day 1 pan out?
England lost Joe Denly early on. Root and Burns once again got together to add some crucial runs. However, the rest of the batting continued to fail and that saw England lose momentum. Marsh was a delight to watch. Buttler showed his strengths as well.
