Established 1961 13 Sports Tuesday, November 28, 2017 Australia coast to 10-wicket victory in Ashes series opener Warner, Bancroft pile on Gabba misery for England BRISBANE: A record-breaking opening part- nership between David Warner and Cameron Bancroft cemented a crushing 10-wicket victo- ry for Australia yesterday, leaving England with pressing issues to resolve to salvage the Ashes series. Warner and newcomer Bancroft got the required runs in a 173-run opening stand to smash an 87-year-old record for the all-time highest unbeaten opening partnership in a suc- cessful Test chase. Warner finished unbeaten on 87 off 119 balls with Bancroft hitting the win- ning boundary to remain 82 not out from 182 deliveries. It was the seventh time Australia had vanquished England by 10 wickets in the Ashes and leaves the home side unbeaten at their Gabba fortress in 29 years. “The first Test of an Ashes is very important, there was a bit of pressure but I’m really pleased with how we played,” Australian skipper Steve Smith said. “The way we pulled it back to win from the position we were in, it’s extremely pleasing. I’m proud of the way the boys fought.” BRISBANE: Australia’s Cameron Bancroft ducks under a bouncer during an Ashes cricket Test The Australians only needed 56 runs on the SCOREBOARD final morning go one up after England imploded between England and Australia in Brisbane, Australia, yesterday.— AP on Sunday’s fourth day, leaving captain Joe Scoreboard at close of play on the fifth day in the first Test between Australia Root with issues to resolve ahead of Saturday’s and England yesterday in Brisbane, Australia. first-ever Ashes day-night second Test in It was Warner’s 25th Test fifty and ninth in defining unbeaten 141 over eight-and-a-half Adelaide. the Ashes, while Bancroft posted his first half- hours gave Australia a 26-run innings lead and England 1st innings 302 (J. Vince 83, D. Malan 56, M. Stoneman 53) “I think the most important thing is we stay century in only his second Test innings. Josh Hazlewood’s two late wickets on Saturday strong and tight as a group of players and that “Great to get a win with the guys. I know swung the momentum firmly Australia’s way. Australia 1st innings 328 (S. Smith 141no, S. Marsh 51) we continue to keep doing the hard work that everyone’s really excited and hopefully we can England were subsequently knocked over for England 2nd innings 195 (J. Root 51) we have done throughout the whole trip,” Root carry this momentum forward,” Bancroft said. 195 off 71.4 overs, losing their last six wickets Australia 2nd innings (Overnight: 114-0; Target: 170 runs) said. “For three days, we played some excellent Warner said it was heartening to get the win for 82, to set Australia an unthreatening target C. Bancroft not out 82 cricket. Unfortunately, when we got into good without losing a wicket. to chase down in the remaining four sessions of D. Warner not out 87 “That’s what we cherish, coming out being play. England have now not won in Brisbane in positions, we didn’t quite capitalise on it.” Extras (lb-2 nb-1 w-1) 4 Much of the post-match reaction centred on disciplined to try and get the job done as best 31 years, a stretch of eight Ashes Tests. Looking Bancroft allegedly being headbutted by as possible,” he said. England’s doleful defeat ahead to Adelaide, Smith said: “This team has Total (for no loss, 50 overs) 173 England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow in a late- was played to the background sounds of the the potential to do some really good things. Fall of wickets: night altercation in Perth last month, which only travelling Barmy Army supporters singing ‘We’ll “The Adelaide wicket might bring some of the Did not bat: S. Smith, U. Khawaja, P. Handscomb, S. Marsh, T. Paine, M. Starc, P. came to light on Sunday. Both parties worked Take the (Ashes) Urn Home’ in the sparsely- bowlers into the game a little bit but, having said Cummins, N. Lyon, J. Hazlewood to play it down Monday with Bancroft saying it populated ground. It was an attritional battle that, it’s probably one of the quickest wickets in Bowling: J. Anderson 11-2-27-0(nb-1); S. Broad 10-2-20-0; M. Ali 4-0-23-0; C. was a “weird” and “random” greeting instead of between the traditional rivals over the first the country at night,” he added. a traditional hand-shake, while Bairstow said three days of the Test, raising England’s hopes “We saw how effective our bowlers could be Woakes 11-1-46-0; J. Ball 8-1-38-0(w-1); J. Root 6-1-17-0. there was nothing malicious about it and “no of a first win at the Gabba in just over three when this wicket quickened up a little bit, so Result: Australia won by 10 wickets animosity” between the pair. decades. But man-of-the-match Smith’s Test- that’s exciting.” —AFP Ashwin takes 300th Bancroft, Bairstow wicket as India play down thrash S Lanka ‘headbutt’ incident NAGPUR: India crushed Sri Lanka by an innings and 239 runs yesterday, equaling India’s biggest ever test BRISBANE: Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft victory and handing the tourists their biggest ever test said England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow had head- defeat. Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took eight wick- butted him by way of a friendly greeting in a Perth ets in the match to take his career test tally to 300 bar last month as both men played down the incident wickets. His final wicket saw him overtake Dennis yesterday. With his captain Steve Smith sat beside Lillee’s title of quickest to reach 300. Ashwin reached him laughing, Bancroft recalled the meeting that 300 in his 54th test, two matches fewer than the leg- prompted sensational reports in the Australian media endary Australian paceman. on the eve of the home side’s victory in the first Ashwin took 4-63 in Sri Lanka’s second innings after Ashes test at the Gabba. also bagging four wickets in the first innings to take his “I got into a very amicable conversation with career tally to exactly 300. Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Jonny, he just greeted me with a headbutt,” Bancroft Chandimal scored a counter-attacking 14th test half- told a news conference. “I was expecting a hand- century as the rest of the team folded. “We were com- shake. It wasn’t the greeting I’d expected. We contin- NAGPUR: India’s Ravichandran Ashwin, without cap, holds a stump as he leaves the ground after India won the pletely outplayed in this match. We won the toss but ued on having a very good conversation. second Test cricket match against Sri Lanka in Nagpur, India. — AP failed to score enough runs. On this pitch, playing “At the time he said sorry. For me personally it against India, you need minimum 350 runs on this was just really weird. It was so random and I didn’t pitch,” he said. really expect it. “A handshake or hug would have Ashwin reached the 300-wicket milestone in his SCOREBOARD been something more I would have expected. I just 54th Test appearance, two matches less than the previ- took it as, ‘he says hello to people very differently to ous record holder, former Australian paceman Lillee. Scoreboard at close of play on the fourth day in the second Test between India and Sri Lanka yeterday in Nagpur, India. others’.” Bairstow said the incident had been “blown Ravindra Jadeja (2-28), Umesh Yadav (2-30) and Ishant completely out of proportion”. “We were just in the Sharma (2-43) all captured two wickets each as Sri Sri Lanka 1st innings 205 (D. Chandimal 57, D. Karunaratne 51; R. Rangana Herath c Rahane b R. Ashwin 0 bar having a good laugh. Cameron and I enjoyed the Ashwin 4-67) Suranga Lakmal not out 31 Lanka collapsed to 166 all out in their second innings evening and continued to do so. There was no intent India 1st innings 610 for 6 decl (V. Kohli 213, C. Pujara 143, M. Vijay Lahiru Gamage b R. Ashwin 0 just after lunch on the fourth day. or malice,” the 28-year-old told reporters after 128, R. Sharma 102no) Extras (lb-2) 2 Riding on Virat Kohli’s fifth Test double hundred, Sri Lanka 2nd innings (Overnight: 21-1) England’s 10-wicket defeat. Total (all out, 49.3 overs) 166 India had scored 610-6 declared in their first innings in Sadeera Samarawickrama b I. Sharma 0 Fall of wickets: 1-0 S. Samarawickrama, 2-34 D. Karunaratne, 3-48 “Hopefully now we can sweep this under the table Dimuth Karunaratne c Vijay b Jadeja 18 reply to Sri Lanka’s poor effort of 205. Trailing by 405 L. Thirimanne, 4-68 A. Mathews, 5-75 N. Dickwella, 6-102 D. and continue what will be an exciting, fantastic Lahiru Thirimanne c Jadeja b U. Yadav 23 runs on the first innings, the visitors resumed on 21-1 Shanaka, 7-107 D. Perera, 8-107 R. Herath, 9-165 D. Chandimal, 10- series.” England coach Trevor Bayliss said the players Angelo Mathews c Ro. Sharma b Jadeja 10 and lost seven wickets in the extended morning session. 166 L. Gamage had not been under curfew in Perth and Bairstow had Dinesh Chandimal c R.