Twitter Reactions: Australia survive Ben Stokes' onslaught to take 2-0 Ashes lead

Australia take a 2-0 lead in the ongoing Ashes after beating England by 43 runs at Lord's on Day 5.

By Adreej Kumar Mitra

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England vs Australia
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England vs Australia. (Photo by IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)

After a pulsating first Test match at Edgbaston, where Australia won by two wickets, the second Test at Lord's didn't disappoint in bringing the thrills.

England began Day 5 at 114/4, requiring another 257 runs to get an improbable victory. Skipper Ben Stokes and opener Ben Duckett resumed proceedings and played with a lot of confidence. They stitched together a 132-run partnership to give England hope. However, once Duckett departed for 83, England began to look down the barrel once again.

Jonny Bairstow, England's last recognised batter, failed to last long as he was stumped by Alex Carey off the bowling of Cameron Green when he left the crease while the ball wasn't dead. This gift of a wicket could have knocked the stuffings out of any team. However, Stokes was in no mood to go down without a fight. He cut loose on the Aussie bowlers, peppering the leg-side boundary at regular intervals. With Stuart Broad for company, Stokes marched on and registered his 13th Test hundred before Lunch.

When the umpires called for Lunch, Stokes had already helped England bring the runs required down to 128. The visitors, however, were still in the driver's seat as they needed just four more wickets to go 2-0 ahead in the series.

In the fourth ball post-lunch, Steve Smith dropped a relatively easy catch of Stokes at deep square leg. The southpaw capitalised on the lifeline offered to him and took his team closer to the target with some lusty blows. Stuart Broad also stuck around with his captain, displaying a lot of grit and determination in countering the barrage of short deliveries being directed at him.

Australia take 2-0 lead in the Ashes

With just 70 runs left, Stokes attempted to pull Josh Hazlewood for a boundary. However, all he could manage was a top edge that went up high in the air and settled into the hands of Alex Carey. The all-rounder's mesmerising knock was lauded by everyone at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground, including the Australian players.

Once Stokes departed for a 214-ball 155, it was going to be a steep task for the likes of Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, and James Anderson to tackle the potent Aussie bowling. The Australian bowlers relentlessly used bouncers to unsettle England's tailenders. Mitchell Starc took the final wicket of Josh Tongue as the visitors won by 43 runs to go 2-0 ahead in the Ashes.

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The Ashes 2023AustraliaEnglandCameron GreenBen StokesMitchell Starc