After Australia’s first innings ended with a total of 416 runs, England’s openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett took to the crease, enduring a challenging 20-minute period before the luncheon break. However, the pair managed to weather the storm and settled in comfortably under the clear London skies, successfully adding 91 runs to the scoreboard.
Their partnership became England’s highest opening stand against Australia in a Test match since 2011.
As the partnership between Crawley and Duckett was blossoming and inching closer to the milestone of 100 runs, Australian veteran Nathan Lyon came to the fore, providing the crucial breakthrough by dismissing Crawley.
The incident occurred during the 18th over of England’s first innings. Lyon enticed Crawley with a delivery that pitched outside the off-stump, drawing the English opener out of his crease. In an attempt to work the ball towards the leg side, Crawley misjudged the length and turn on offer. The ball spun past his pads, and it was at this moment that Carey’s extraordinary skills came into play.
Carey, exhibiting remarkable reflexes, swiftly collected the spinning ball and deftly whipped the bails off in an instant. The replays suggested that the ball may have flicked Crawley’s pad, causing a slight deviation, but Carey’s exceptional glove work left no doubt about the dismissal. The lightning-fast stumping sent Crawley back to the pavilion, ending his promising innings and giving Australia a vital breakthrough.
Here is the video:
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