The Ashes 2023: Australia finally arrive in gripping 20-minute spell at Edgbaston
- Published
England lose openers Duckett & Crawley in four balls
Settle in, everyone - the real Australia have arrived.
In an electric 20-minute spell on Sunday afternoon, after previously opting to fight England's Bazball aggression with fluffy pillows, they were roused by the Edgbaston gloom which stirred all of their trademark hostility.
In just 22 balls, the rampant tourists took two wickets, conceded just one run off the bat and bellowed impassioned appeal after impassioned appeal.
"That is the Australian team I have known for all of the time I have been watching Test cricket," former England captain Michael Vaughan noted.
Advancing Australia take advantage
After an initial rain delay, England resumed their second innings on 26-0. Twenty minutes later they were 28-2.
The conditions fell perfectly for Australia, as they had for England early on day two, with captain Pat Cummins sensing his moment after ominous dark clouds built over Edgbaston.
The defensive fields of day one were gone. In came the catchers - Cummins and fellow seamer Scott Boland threatening a wicket with almost every ball.
After 10 balls and just one run scored, Ben Duckett edged into the hands of the mountainous Cameron Green in the gully, having already been beaten by Cummins earlier in the over.
Three balls later, Zak Crawley nicked Boland behind and the Australians roared in celebration like only they can.
There were four appeals for lbw and a review for caught behind off Joe Root, possibly the most heart-stopping moment for England fans.
"In that first period before the rain, Australia were terrible," Vaughan said on BBC Test Match Special.
"Since Australia came back out it has been a different mindset, different fields.
"There has been help with the conditions, and the ball started to move, but it is just the mindset.
"Australia have said to the batters 'we are here to get you out, not just spread the fields and let you knock it around'."
'A different game' - how the bowling changed
England's false shot percentage leapt from 11% before the rain and 13% in the first innings to 50% during the 20-minute spell.
Batting was significantly more difficult. From the 6.5-over period before the first rain break, the average seam movement off the pitch jumped by around 50% from 0.39 degrees to 0.59.
Throughout it all, Australia rushed through with purpose, Marnus Labuschagne appealing like a hysterical schoolboy from extra cover.
"The beauty of the game is that you have to adapt accordingly as the conditions change and Pat Cummins was very quick there, he recognised it," former England skipper Michael Atherton said on Sky Sports.
"He obviously got the ball in his hands and he could sense it. Suddenly, in comes the field, in come the catchers and it is a very different game."
England struggled under the leaden Edgbaston skies
'We saw an opportunity'
Wicketkeeper Alex Carey said Australia's change in tactics was simply "reading the play".
"There was a little period tonight when it was more bowler friendly and was swinging around a bit," he said.
"We thought there was rain coming as well so you get in a bit of a rush to keep bowling."
Australia's defensive tactics on the first day were epitomised by their decision to have boundary fielders in the first over.
At times they had five men on the rope in a bid to stop England but on day three returned to a more conventional field of three slips, a gully and a tight, ring field preventing singles.
"We started with the field out on Friday and they got away with singles," Carey said. "It was always trying to restrict that boundary, we have seen England play so well and aggressive
"Today we saw an opportunity to bring that field in and squeeze pressure. We felt we got back to hitting some nice line and lengths and hitting the wicket."