Ben Stokes left stunned with Zak Crawley's effortless boundary to open Ashes 2023 - WATCH

Why you’re here: England is facing Australia in the Ashes 2023 at the Edgbaston Stadium in the UK. Australia recently won the WTC Final 2023 after beating India by 209 runs. England also had a decent 2 weeks' rest after they beat Ireland by 10 wickets. Both teams are ecstatic to take the trophy home, but an energetic start from England on Friday showed their ‘Bazball’ approach in Test cricket.

3 things you need to know

• England won the toss and made the decision to bat against Australia
• England is known for its famous aggressive batting in Tests called ‘Bazball’
• Zak Crawley was England’s opener in the Ashes 2023 opener

Also Read: Ashes 2023: Zak Crawley Gets A Lifeline, Australia Missed The Chance To Take His Wicket

How was the first ball of the Ashes 2023?

England shot the first ball of the game with their classic ‘Bazball’ approach and it is not strange to any fan after Ben Stokes made a huge statement about how they are going to face the WTC 2023 Champions in the Ashes. Having won the toss and chosen to bat first, England made it clear from the first ball that they would continue to play an aggressive strategy when the opener Crawley drove the opening ball from Australian captain Pat Cummins towards the boundary ropes.

According to other teams playing a Test cricket match, an individual will expect the batter to start slowly, as they don’t want to lose any wickets at an early stage. However, England waits for none as they believe to play aggressively from the start and putting pressure on their opponents from the start. Cummins bowled a long and wide delivery outside the off stump, and most batters would have left the ball, but not Crawley. The opener swung his arm and notched a boundary through extra cover, drawing an enormous roar from the venue’s packed house.

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How did captain Ben Stokes react to the boundary?

England Captain, Ben Stokes’ reaction was really all the fans that were present in the stands as he himself did not expect the opener, Crawley to hit a four in the first ball of the game after watching his teammate, Stokes' expression spoke for itself, as he was shocked as he looked into his sides after the first ball of the game. 

Following the first over, Zak Crawley repeated the trick as Josh Hazlewood arrived to bowl the second over and received the same treatment, with the first ball being despatched over the boundary. However, Crawley was taken down by the Australians after making 61 runs in 73 balls as England made 124/3 in 26.4 overs before the morning session ended and the players went for lunch.