Lubhalwe nguRazeen Gutta
Sekuseduze phambili kowe-Ashes njengoba kuzobe kududulwana e-Headingley kuleli sonto lapho i-England idinga ukugwema ukuhlulwa ukuze ihlenge uchungechunge.
Yize bebeyincosana, ukuwina kabili kweqembu le-Australia kusho ukuthi basalelwe umdlalo owodwa ukuze banqobe uchungechunge lwe-Ashes e-England selokhu bagcina ngo-2001.
Nakuba ama-Aussies engakaze ahlulwe kuchungechunge ngabasingathi bomdlalo walo nyaka kusukela ngo-2015, bazofuna ukuzimisela ukuze bavimbe i-England ithuba lokuhola phambili.
Ukwenza lokho, kuzofanele baphule imithetho yenkundla ye-Leeds lapho uBen Stokes agila khona izimanga eminyakeni emine edlule.
Ngo-2019, owayengukaputeni we-England washaya amaphuzu ayikhulu ukuze iqembu lakhe linqobe komunye wemidlalo yama-test yekhilikithi engasoze yakhohlakala.
Njengamanje i-Stokes sizimisele ukuqhudelana ngaphansi “kwamazinga amahle” ngaphakathi enkundleni.
“Angazi ukuthi kukhonani enkundleni i-Headingley kodwa uhlale ukhumbula emuva izinto ezithile ezenzeke lapha.
Sinezinkumbulo ezimnandi njengeqembu futhi ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi abalandeli banezinkumbulo ezimnandi nabo,” esho kwisithangami sabezindaba ngaphambi komdlalo.
“Uma kusihambela kahle bayaseseka noma futhi izinto zingasihambeli kahle bahlezi benathi. Kuhlale kuyinto emangalisayo. Okubalulekile kuleli sonto kungaba ukunqoba kwethu umdlalo wochungechunge lwe-Ashes.”
I-England isimemezele izinguquko ezintathu eqenjini elihlulwe enkundleni i-Lord kanye nokushiywa ngaphandle kukaJimmy Anderson kufakwe uMark Wood.
UMoeen Ali ubuya ekulimaleni ukuzongena esikhundleni sikaJosh Tongue kanti u-Ollie Pope obelimele ihlombe naye uzophuthelwa umdlalo kungene uChris Woakes.
I-test yesithathu izoqala ngo-12 emini ngoLwesine e-Headingley kanti izosakazwa bukhoma ku-SuperSport.
Isithombe esingenhla: UBen Stokes e-Headingley ngo-2019
Umthombo wesithombe: @musama_96