Tactics have played a big role in shaping the destiny of many a sporting event. Sometimes extraordinary moves are vindicated through brilliant performances. At times, they turn out to be disastrous. All the same, they end up being a part of history, get talked about, get forgotten, and return for discussion when someone else does something similar.

Ben Stokes’s declaration became the first talking point of the 2023 Ashes. What was a touch surprising about England’s 393-8 declaration was the fact that they reckoned without the experience of Australian openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja as they were asked to bat in the dying moments of the first day’s play. Stokes reasoned after  Tuesday’s finish to the Test that he was hoping for a couple of wickets that Day One evening and no batsman likes to go in to bat for 20 minutes before stumps.