The Ben Stokes era added to the modern England cricket language just before midday on the third day of the rain-interrupted match. A new term was created after Bazball, Bazbait, and Nighthawk: Brumbrella. It can be used to describe the ludicrous pitch Ollie Robinson and Ben Stokes set to terminate Usman Khawaja’s 321-ball resistance, which was originally intended to denote a big pitch cover to protect the ground.
Despite how odd the field seemed, it was justified by the methods. England managed to build a seven-run lead after Khawaja’s departure, but rainy spells slowed down their momentum, and they finished the day on 28 for 2 with a 35-run advantage.
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England Leading after Day 3:
The Australian opener, much like he was on the second day, was an immovable force of defiance, dampening the swing and seam of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, calming the rage of Ollie Robinson, and stifling the sharp spin of Moeen Ali. He was gradually closing the door on England’s tenacity. None of the traditional patterns or tried-and-true techniques were successful, and neither seemed to be the old allies, swing and swing. Stokes started his attempt to dismantle the Test cricket field-setting handbook as if he needed an excuse to embrace the bizarre. He then created what may be deemed the most unusual field you would ever witness in a Test match.
For some time, the England captain has been adjusting the pitch. He and Broad planned to swarm the leg-side field for Cummins in the 110th over. There was a leg-gully, fine leg, deep square leg, deep wide mid-on, and square leg. Before moving the fielder to silly point and crouching down at short leg, he installed a short-leg as well. The intended bowling motion was short and into the body. An average body line speed?
Robison was probing wide lines to both batsman from the other end. With a gully and three fielders grouped in the cover, he started the 111th over, to Khawaja, with the middle fielder being closer to him than the other two players on his sides.
Khawaja stayed calm and in his impenetrable bubble. Robinson, therefore, packed the on-side in his subsequent over, with four men forming a human chain 15–20 paces from the bat, from short square leg to short mid-on.
It was a crazy phase where Boland twice hit Joe Root’s pads and Pat Cummins futilely reviewed a caught behind of Root. The day would be cancelled as the rain started to pour. Despite the day being brief, drama and disagreements were plenty. Brumbrellas and umbrellas all day long.
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