'I actually walked up to McCullum and said, Please explain this to me': Kevin Pietersen

Why you're reading this: The English cricket team made a bold decision by declaring their first innings towards the end of day 1 play during the first Ashes test match. However, the decision didn't help them win the first ENG vs AUS Test and they lost the match by two wickets. Aussie captain Pat Cummins stitched a partnership of 54 runs with Nathan Lyon and took his team to victory.

3 things you need to know

• Australia needed 281 runs to win the inaugural Ashes 2023 Test
• The Aussies were 227/8 at one stage and the hosts were favorites to win the match
• The second Test of the Ashes 2023 series will be played from June 28, 2023

How did England's bold decision cost them the Test match? 

The English cricket team made their intentions clear from ball 1 of the ENG vs AUS Ashes first Test match. English opener Zak Crawley scored a boundary on the first ball of the Test match and came out to bat with an attacking mindset. All the other English batters also played aggressively from ball one and were able to make 393/8 in 78 overs. However, Ben Stokes and Co. could have easily continued to bat on day 2 but they declared the innings on the first day itself which is a very rare scene in Test cricket. 

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Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen was dumbfounded by the hosts' decision to declare the first innings on Day 1. He further said in a conversation with Daily Mail that he approached the team's coach Brendon McCullum and tried to find out the logic behind the decision. 

“I love the positivity. But it’s just this series, in particular, that I still need to get my head around. I actually walked up to McCullum on the Saturday and said, ‘Please explain this to me because I don’t understand it’. I have done that my whole career. I gave you a spray in Australia in 2006. I was like, ‘Dude what are you saying and why are you saying this?’.”

The decision could have proven effective when England had reduced Australia to 67/3 in the first innings at one stage. However, Usman Khawaja played a knock of 141 runs and took his team out of trouble. The English team was not able to register a score close to England's first innings score after their first innings. The Aussies at last needed 281 to win and on the last day, they yet again suffered a batting collapse. With just two wickets left and 54 runs to win, the hosts were in the driver's seat to win the match but Aussie skipper Pat Cummins didn't let this happen and played an unbeaten knock of 44 runs and also added 55* runs with Nathan Lyon for the ninth wicket. 

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The focus will now shift to the second Test of the Ashes 2023 series which is all set to be played at the Lord's cricket ground from June 28, 2023.