Ashish Ranjan
Even though it rained for nearly six hours on Day 3 of the third Ashes Test at Headingley, Leeds, both teams were able to put on a strong performance during their single session. Travis Head’s masterclass assisted Australia in accumulating a respectable total before the visitors were ultimately dismissed for 224 runs in their second innings, thereby setting a winning target of 251 runs for the hosts.
England’s opening batsmen Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley put together a 27-run stand on the third day of the ongoing Test, putting them in need of 224 runs to win before the fourth day. England’s sights are now set on their first Ashes 2023 victory after the duo provided a steady start to the pursuit.
Ben Stokes, the captain of England, has been in excellent form and has proven his worth with the bat in this series. In contrast, few other batsmen have contributed to the ongoing game, and only Stokes rose to the occasion in the Lord’s Test.
Stokes holds a special place in his heart for Headingley, where he stole a wicket and led his team to an exhilarating one-wicket victory in the 2019 Test. However, pacer Chris Woakes believes that the red-ball captain cannot be given all the responsibility and that the team cannot rely solely on him to complete the task, signifying that other players must contribute to the current game.
“It would be great if it were slightly simpler. We do not wish to rely on Ben constantly. We recognize that he is superhuman, but he cannot do it every time. Across the board, from 1 to 11, we must put in a solid effort and attempt to secure victory. It is a chance to do something extraordinary. There are more nerves than enthusiasm. Woakes was quoted by Cricbuzz as saying, “We are excited at the prospect of chasing down a score, winning the Test, and keeping ourselves in the series.”
It’s an exciting day for both teams: England have excelled at chasing during the ‘Bazball’ tenure of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, according to Woakes. The English team chased down 250-plus totals at home four times in the summer of 2017 and made it appear effortless. Even though they have a comparable objective this time around, Woakes was hesitant to rule the visitors out of the competition and anticipates a competitive Day 4.
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“We are confident in our ability to pursue scores as a team. It fits our needs. This team strives to always be the aggressor and take the initiative. But the scores in this game haven’t been particularly high, so you shouldn’t assume it will be a breeze. We will need to perform well. “It’s an exciting day for both teams, as Australia believes they’re 10 wickets away from claiming the Ashes in England,” he added.
