Throughout the duration of the 2023 Ashes, various historical references have been made. Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon snuck the visitors across the line in the first Test, reliving Edgbaston, England, in 2005. When Lyon limped off the field at Lord’s with a torn calf, there were echoes of Glenn McGrath’s injury, which changed the course of the 2005 series. This week at Headingley, both teams recalled the events of the analogous Test match four years ago and how Ben Stokes’ valiant 135* in the fourth innings kept the Ashes alive.
After Australia’s lead was cut in half by England’s victory at Headingley, Cummins would not be unduly concerned if history repeated itself in Leeds so long as the series followed a similar pattern in the next Test at Old Trafford. The following week in 2019, Australia methodically rebounded from the Stokes-engineered theft to register a resounding 185-run victory in Manchester, thereby ensuring the famous urn would remain in their possession.
Despite the similarities, the circumstances of the two defeats in Leeds could not have been more dissimilar. Firstly, the personnel involved – players and coaches – for the visitors is distinct. Before being swept away by the Stokes wave, Australia had not attained a position in this Headingley Test even near to the level of dominance they had enjoyed four years prior.
Although Cummins’ side dominated for a significant portion of the first innings, this Test was marked by a greater degree of ebb and flow prior to England’s narrow victory on Sunday. Cummins responded affirmatively when asked if the defeat felt different than the jolt the locker room felt four years ago. “Stokes-Jack Leach was not a single large partnership.”
“I think this game ebbed and flowed the whole way through, whereas that one in 2019 we were ahead for most of it. We’re all kind of used to it – playing cricket there’s normally a winner and a loser. We’ve had a wonderful run up until now, winning the first three matches this tour [including the WTC Final against India].
“It’s a shame, and it’s one of the games you look at and everyone thinks you could have done something just a little bit different that might have contributed to a different result. But we’ve all played enough cricket, so we will brush this one off and make sure we get ready for Manchester,” he said.
Stokes, who was evidently ecstatic about the result, refused to accept the notion that he had seized the proverbial initiative for the remainder of the series. The England captain stated, “I remember going to Manchester in 2019 and saying the exact opposite.” “I stated that we had to disregard everything that transpired at Headingley, as well as all the commotion surrounding that game.
“We got over the line but we know the job at hand and what’s in front of us is way more important than what’s been said, and what’s been done. And it will be the same again in Manchester, albeit after another great game of cricket and we’ve kept the series at 2-1. We just have to park everything from this week but also continue in the way in which we play because I said last week at Lord’s, we find ourselves in the perfect position for the way we play cricket.”
Meanwhile, the Australian captain will have to consider selection issues when the team regroups in Manchester the following week. Mitchell Marsh, making his first Test appearance in four years, scored a magnificent century on the opening day, but realizes there is only room for one all-rounder in the XI, as incumbent Cameron Green is expected to recover from a minor hamstring injury.
When Marnus Labuschagne stepped in as Steve Smith’s concussion replacement in 2019 and ended up retaining his position even after Smith’s return to Old Trafford, the situation is reminiscent of a similar instance in 2019. Usman Khawaja became the scapegoat. This time around, David Warner’s position is under scrutiny after a pair of dismissals against Stuart Broad brought his total to 17 against the England seamer.
“You keep all options open,” Cummins said. “We’ve got nine or 10 days now, so we’ll take a deep breath. We’ll go away for a few days.
“But everyone comes back into it. Greeny should be fit for Manchester. Josh will be back in there as well. So, we should have a full roster and we’ll have a look at the wicket and have a chat and work out the best XI.”
