England struck first, with Zak Crawley driving Australia skipper Pat Cummins’ opening ball through the covers for four.
The Ashes, cricket’s longest rivalry, got off to a flying start on Friday when England won the toss and chose to bat first against Australia in the first Test at Edgbaston. England, which last won the Ashes in 2015, suffered an 0-4 hammering at the hands of their main rivals, Australia, in their previous meeting in 2022. Joe Root’s stint as Test captain came to an end with the series loss. However, England has been the side to beat in Test cricket with the advent of Brendon McCullum as head coach and Ben Stokes as captain.
After opting to bat, England struck first, with Crawley driving Australia’s opener, Pat Cummins, over the covers for four.
England is hoping for their first Ashes series victory since 2015, while Australia is aiming for their first Ashes campaign triumph in England in 22 years.
