"Tough" For Ben Stokes, "Strange" For Pat Cummins: Reactions To Drawn Manchester Test

24.07.2023 - 05:23 sports.ndtv.com

Australia captain Pat Cummins insists his side's ambition to win a Test series in England remains undimmed after they retained the Ashes in a rain-marred draw at Old Trafford.

Persistent rain meant Sunday's final day of the fourth Test was washed out without a ball bowled as England were denied the chance of a series-levelling win in a match they had dominated.

The result ensured Australia, as the holders, kept the Ashes at 2-1 up with one match left in the series -- regardless of the result of the fifth Test at The Oval starting on Thursday.

Even so, Australia will still have to avoid defeat in London if they are to secure their first Ashes series win in England since 2001. "It is a bit of a strange one," Cummins told reporters. "As a group, proud we have retained the Ashes but it has not been our greatest week." The fast bowler added: "It is a pretty similar group to 2019 when we retained (the Ashes in England in a 2-2 draw) and we came away feeling OK, but it felt a bit like we had missed what we came over to achieve. "In some regards whatever happened today, it wouldn't really change how we view next week -- we want to win (the series)." Australia finished on 214-5 in their second innings, 61 runs behind England's first-innings 592, after Marnus Labuschagne kept the hosts at bay on Saturday with 111.

cricket Australia Cricket Team Ben Stokes England Cricket Team Ashes 2023 Test Cummins Pat Cummins Zak Crawley Jonny Bairstow Australia

ENG vs AUS, 5th Ashes Test, Day 5, Live Updates:Australia will resume the final day of the fifth Ashes Test against England from 135/0, in the chase of 384 runs at The Oval. Openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja will resume at their overnight scores of 58 and 69, respectively as Australia need 249 runs more to win on Monday. Earlier, England could only add six runs from their overnight score of 389/9 as they were bowled out for 395 in their second innings at The Oval. (Live Scorecard)

Ashes: Ben Stokes Makes History, Surpasses Kevin Pietersen To Hit A New 'Most Sixes' Record

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"Not Going To Please...": Pat Cummins Hits Back At Critics Ahead Of Ashes Finale

Australia captain Pat Cummins remains unfazed by criticism over his captaincy following two tight victories at Edgbaston and Lord's, a defeat at Leeds, and a draw in Manchester. The fifth and final Test will begin at The Oval from Thursday with the hosts in with a chance to level the series. Heading into the fifth and final Ashes Test with a 2-1 series lead and having retained the Ashes, the 30-year-old emphasised the need of having a thick skin to deal with everything.

Ben Stokes Lavishes Praise On "Greatest Fast Bowler" James Anderson Ahead Of 5th Ashes Test

England captain Ben Stokes has no doubts over James Anderson keeping his place in an unchanged side for this week's Ashes finale, hailing the veteran seamer as "the greatest fast bowler to play the game". The hosts are bidding to end the series all square at 2-2 in a fifth Test at The Oval starting Thursday, with Australia having already retained the Ashes at 2-1 up following last week's rain-marred draw at Old Trafford. Anderson, 41 on Sunday, has taken just four wickets in three matches this series at a costly average of 76.75 apiece.