England and Australia played out a hard-fought draw in the fourth Test of the Ashes, with the visitors needing to hang on tight to secure the result.
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Australia captain Pat Cummins rued the fact that the weather played a role in determining the result in the fourth Test of the Ashes on Sunday (January 9).
England and Australia played out a hard-fought draw in the fourth Test of the Ashes, with the visitors needing to hang on tight in the end.
“Yeah, really keen (for 4-0) but that was a great game of Test cricket. Bit less weather might have got us there. Hard fought game, that’s why we love it,” Cummins said after the game.
Cummins further joked that this Test match taught him not to place too much faith in the weather forecasts.
“I’ve learned the weather forecasts are hopeless! Was supposed to rain all day on day four. Really good to get close to 400 (ahead), the wicket wasn’t playing too many tricks, they’ve got some class batters. Thought we had plenty of time.”
He also had his say on picking Steve Smith to roll his arm over towards the end of Day 5. With the light getting worse, the umpires informed Cummins that only slow bowlers could bowl.
Australia may have five bowlers in the line-up but only one spinner in Nathan Lyon. This meant that
“Lucky to have five genuine bowlers, plus Smithy and Marnus. (Smith) talked his way in. It’s a running joke as to who the first-choice leggie is. He’s been bowling beautifully, so thought I’d give him a crack.”
England had begun the day having lost no wickets, but were 8 down with 17 overs left in the day. A salvage job featuring Jack Leash and Stuart Broad was the need of the hour.
The two appeared to have gotten the job done, until the final ball of the 100th over. Steve Smith, in to bowl as the light was so poor only spinners were allowed, got Leach to nick one to David Warner at slip.
The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) erupted, as the two local lads combined for a wicket that kept the home team’s hopes of a whitewash alive.
However, Broad and James Anderson managed to bat through the final two overs. As a result, the away team salvaged a draw – and put an end to any prospects of a whitewash having already lost the Ashes in the first three Tests.
It was a fitting result, as England had finally shown some fight in the series. However, they are still winless in four Tests Down Under and would like that to change.
The Aussies, by contrast, would love to end the series 4-0 – not just for the humilation, but for the World Test Championship (WTC) points on offer.
