England’s exceptional journey from 67 all out to a one-wicket win

England's batting collapses were perhaps the most discussed and debated topic in Test cricket in the last couple of seasons.

Since 2018, nine teams have been bowled out for a score of less than 100 in Test cricket. Shockingly, England feature four times in the list.

Against Ireland last month, England were bowled out for 85 in the first innings but went on to bowl them out for 38 in the final innings to win the Test match. But what was glaring ahead of the Ashes was a batting issue.

That they had been bowled out for under hundred four times in one and a half years pointed towards a lack of temperament for Test cricket and they were criticised for a white-ball focused approach in the last four years.

They had last made 400-plus total a year ago and that happened only once since the beginning of 2018. From their less than convincing openers to a shaky No.3 in Joe Root, everything about England seemed off. Their batters from positions 7-10 had a better average than their top six at one point in the last two years.

When set 359 to win, England had to create history to win at Headingley. Their highest successful run chase in the fourth innings prior to this was chasing 332 against Australia at MCG in 1928-29. They had only chased 300-plus scores in the final innings thrice before, last of that in 2001. 350-plus was never chased.

You always have a second innings in life. Even if you have made 67 all out. That is what test cricket has always told us. You never never give up.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) August 25, 2019

Only ten 350-plus totals had been successfully chased in the history of Test cricket. Three of them by Australia, two each by India and Sri Lanka, one each by West Indies, South Africa and Pakistan.

England had to make history and at 286/9, that appeared 73 runs away, with Jack Leach - the No. 11, stuck with Ben Stokes. The top-order had once again failed to carry them although Joe Root did redeem himself with a fighting half-century.

Stokes and Leach had to do an impossible act but the former had only pulled off another heist in the country a month ago at Lord's to win England the World Cup. Here he turned around a 67 all out in the first innings and stitched a 62-ball 76-run stand with Leach, where the No.11 faced just 17 balls for one run.

Stokes, on the other hand, made 74 in 45 balls in the partnership with seven sixes and four fours. There are no instances of teams scoring fewer runs in an innings in a Test match and ending up winning since 1900. It had only ever been done in the 1880s.

In the 67 years between 1951 and 2018, no team ever won a Test after getting dismissed for 90 or fewer.

England has now done that twice in a month.
85 vs Ire Lord's July 2019 (Won by 143 runs)
67 vs Aus Leeds Aug 2019 (Won by one wicket)#Ashes19 #BenStokes

— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) August 25, 2019

England create history by chasing down their highest target in the longest format of the game. Leeds the only venue to feature twice on this list, previous instance - AUS v ENG in 1948. #Ashes pic.twitter.com/93T9swwOu8

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) August 25, 2019

But with a 102-run deficit and a 359-run target staring at them, England pulled off an improbable win by a wicket, courtesy Stokes. More importantly, their batting issues remained masked as Stokes carried them over the line in a mind-blowing anti-climax to the game.

Featured image courtesy: AFP / Paul Ellis