02 August,2019 12:37 PM IST | | mid-day online correspondent
Steve Smith celebrates his 24th ton
West Indies batting legend Brian Lara has chosen England over Australia to win the Ashes 2019. The England cricket team are currently riding high after the World Cup 2019 triumph/
Brian Lara also said that England skipper Joe Root will end the series, which started on Thursday, with the highest runs while speedster Chris Woakes be the leading wicket-taker.
"My predictions for the Ashes 2019, winners: England; most runs: Joe Root; most wickets: Chris Woakes," Brian Lara tweeted.
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On the opening day of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, Steve Smith scored a brilliant century to save Australia the blushes as the visitors posted 284. Australia were down in the dumps with seven wickets falling for a little over 100 runs on the board before the tail-enders stuck around with Steve Smith to post a fighting total.
England pacers Stuart Broad (5/86) and Woakes (3/58) tore through Australia's batting line-up picking up eight wickets together.
Australia are the holders of the Ashes going into the series, having won in 2017/18. The two sides will play five Test matches in England which started on August 1, 2019.
Stuart Broad tore through the Australian top order with his pace and swing, where returning batsmen like Cameron Bancroft and David Warner were found wanting.
Australian batter Steve Smith has become the second fastest batsman to score 24 hundreds in Test cricket.
Steve Smith scored a brilliant 144 to take Australia to 284 in their first innings in the first Ashes Test against England at Edgbaston.
The 32-year-old former captain, scored his 24th Test hundred in 118 innings, 52 more than legendary batsman Don Bradman who achieved the milestone in 66 innings.
India skipper Virat Kohli is third at the list having taken 123 Test innings to score his 24 centuries, followed by Sachin Tendulkar who took 125 innings.
The former Australian skipper Steve Smith is now equal with Greg Chappell, Vivian Richards and Mohammad Yousuf on 24 tons in Test cricket history. Only six Australia batsmen have more Test centuries than Steve Smith.
With inputs from PTI/IANS
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