'I have never seen it': Ricky Ponting stunned by England's tactics against Australia

Why you're reading this: England and Australia are currently locking horns against each other in the first Test of the five-match Ashes series taking place in the United Kingdom. On Day 3 of the match, England captain Ben Stokes took an unconventional approach in setting up the field with the pitch offering little to no assistance to his bowlers. Stokes placed six close-in fielders in front of Usman Khawaja and left the slip cordon empty probably in an attempt to distract the batter. 

3 things you need to know

• The first Ashes Test is being played at the Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham
• Playing at home, Australia won the previous Ashes series by a thumping margin of 4-0
• This is the first Ashes series under the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum

Also Read: Ashes 2023: England Greats Warn Ben Stokes Of Moeen Ali, Say He Has Got Some 'real Issues'

ENG vs AUS: Ponting opens up on Stokes' never-seen-before field setup

Ricky Ponting, former Australian captain, expressed his astonishment at the unconventional field placement set by Ben Stokes on the third day of the first Ashes Test, which ultimately led to the dismissal of Usman Khawaja. This unique field arrangement took the cricketing world by surprise, as England placed three fielders in close-in positions on the leg-side and mirrored the same setup on the off-side. 

"I don't think I've ever seen a field like that in Test cricket before. There was just an umbrella of fielders around in front of the batsman's face. And it was all about bowling a couple of slower balls and being able to bowl a yorker. And sure enough, Khawaja used his feet, gave himself some room, gave up his stumps, and the yorker knocked his off stump out of the ground. It's fantastic stuff. It's really refreshing for the Test game to see a team play this way and a captain happy to try everything he possibly can," Ponting told the ICC Review. 

Although Test captains have utilized aggressive fielding setups in the past, often targeting new or lower-order batsmen, Ben Stokes's field placement against Usman Khawaja, who was batting superbly on 141, caught the attention of many. Stokes continuously modified the field in an effort to unsettle Khawaja, the resilient Australia opener. Surprisingly, he stationed three fielders in close proximity on the off-side and an equal number on the leg side, while opting to leave the slip cordon unoccupied.

Also Read: Ashes 2023: Cameron Green Picks Thunderous Catch From Gully To Dismiss Ben Duckett - WATCH

England vs Australia: Ben Stokes and Co. hold slender lead in 1st Test

In a rare occurrence, captain Ben Stokes and his team decided to declare their first innings at 393/8 after choosing to bat. England then dismissed Australia for 386 runs, securing a slender seven-run lead heading into their second innings. Rain interrupted the play briefly on the third day. After a slight delay, Australian bowlers came in and picked up two wickets. England are currently batting at 28/2 in their second innings, aiming to establish a formidable target for the Australian team.

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