Ashes 1st Test: Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad dominate visitors to leave Australia reeling (Lunch, Day 3)

Birmingham [UK], June 18 (ANI): Pacer Ollie Robinson dominated Australia batter and ended the visitors’ hopes of taking the lead over England after Usman Khawaja-Pat Cummins put up a superb batting performance on Day 3 in the ongoing first Test of Ashes here at Edgbaston on Sunday.

At the time of lunch, England bundled out Australia 386 and took the lead of 7 runs.
Resuming the day at 311/5, Alex Carey and centurion Usman Khawaja continued their splendid partnership as the duo kept cracking runs off regular intervals.

The duo kept on moving the scoreboard at a brisk pace. Carey slammed two back-to-back fours before veteran pacer James Anderson bowled the Australia batter for 66 runs and broke a solid more than a hundred-run partnership. Australia skipper Pat Cummins then came out to bat.

It was a tough task for England players to trap centurion Khawaja, however, Ollie Robinson did the job gracefully, removing Australia opener. England captain Ben Stokes deployed a bizarre field for Khawaja – a number of close catchers in front of the square – and it appeared to befuddle the Australian as he came down the pitch and was yorked by Robinson.

New batter Nathan Lyon did not look convinced with any of the big shots he played and ended up getting out to one as he got caught by Ben Duckett on the square-leg boundary off Robinson.

Another unorthodox, attacking field from England welcomed new batter Scott Boland, along with Robinson coming around the wicket to the right-hander off the last ball as well.

Broad then trapped Boland to play short ball and the plan worked for England as he prod on up to close-in fielder Ollie Pope on the off-side to depart Australia’s batter without scoring a run.

Cummins tried to take on the short ball off Robinson’s over, but mistimed it and Stokes got under it to make the catch in midwicket.

Australia skittled out just before lunch at 386, and England lead by seven runs after the first innings.

Brief score: England 393/8 d (Joe Root 118, Jonny Bairstow 78; Nathan Lyon 4-149) vs Australia 386 (Usman Khawaja 141; Alex Carey 66; Ollie Robinson 3-55).