Ashes 2023: Ricky Ponting and Mark Taylor are taken aback by Harry Brook’s “freak dismissal”

Harry Brook, an England batsman, was unfortunate because on Day 1 of the first Test of the Ashes 2023 in Edgbaston, he was removed by Australia in the strangest possible way. When the ball hit Brook’s bat, smacked his body, bounced into the stumps, and rattled the bails, he was batting at 32.

The dismissal was made even more “freakish” by the Australian players’ collective inability to reach the catch after Brook stole the ball, losing sight of the ball as it travelled back and rattled the stumps.

When the accident occurred, Brook and Joe Root had put up a 50-run partnership and were about to push their team over the 200-run mark in the 38th over of England’s inning.

When Brook faced Nathan Lyon, the ball was fairly straight. He attempted to play a shot to the leg side, but the ball took a nick off his bat. Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey went for the catch, but completely lost sight of the ball as it deflected off the batter and continued to rattle the stumps.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting commented on the firing by saying, “Desperately unfortunate. I have seen several dismissals, but none quite like that.

Ben Stokes, the captain of England, decided to bat first after winning the toss, but his team lost opener Ben Duckett early since he only scored 12 runs in 10 balls.

After putting up a 71-run partnership for the second wicket with Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope was caught by Lyon just in front of the stumps. Then, when Crawley was pulled on 61, Scott Boland, who had been selected in the Australian team instead of Mitchell Starc, showed that Pat Cummins had made the correct decision.

After a strong start, England lost their way at lunch as Australia raced back into the match, and they finished the first session on 124/3.