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

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.

England restricted world Test champions Australia to 317 in their first innings before racing to 592 all out, thanks largely to Zak Crawley's stunning 189 and an unbeaten 99 from Jonny Bairstow.

Cummins said he hadn't "bowled very well at all" during a return of 1-129 in 23 overs -- the most expensive haul of his Test career.

He also conceded England's thrilling 'Bazball' batting had also made life tough for him