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

Australia captain Pat Cummins insists his facet’s ambition to win a Test collection in England stays undimmed after they retained the Ashes in a rain-marred draw at Old Trafford. Persistent rain meant Sunday’s ultimate day of the fourth Test was washed out and not using a ball bowled as England had been denied the prospect of a series-levelling win in a match that they had dominated. The consequence ensured Australia, because the holders, saved the Ashes at 2-1 up with one match left within the collection — no matter the results of the fifth Test at The Oval beginning on Thursday.

Even so, Australia will nonetheless should keep away from defeat in London if they’re to safe their first Ashes collection win in England since 2001.

“It is a bit of a strange one,” Cummins instructed reporters. “As a group, proud we have retained the Ashes but it has not been our greatest week.”

The quick 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 no matter occurred right now, it would not actually change how we view subsequent week — we need to win (the collection).”

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 effectively in any respect” 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 tactically as a captain.

“We tried to throw a couple of plans at them and on one other day they could have labored however, in all aspects, we simply weren’t at our greatest this week they usually performed very well,” said Cummins, who added any Australia joy at having retained the Ashes would be “muted”.

– England ‘legacy’ –

Meanwhile, England skipper Ben Stokes claimed his side will be “a crew individuals will bear in mind” despite their failure to win the Ashes.

This was England’s first draw in 17 Tests since Stokes joined forces with coach Brendon McCullum last year to oversee a revolution in the team’s approach to red-ball cricket, with the emphasis firmly on entertaining the paying public.

“It’s a tricky one to take, a tricky tablet to swallow,” said Stokes after a result that left England still searching for a first Ashes series win since 2015.

“But I feel what we have managed to do has already completed wonders for cricket in England. I mentioned within the dressing room that the reward to your work is not what you get, it is what you change into.”

The all-rounder added: “I feel what we have managed to change into is a crew that individuals will bear in mind.

“As much as I would love to be an Ashes-winning captain, I want this to be a legacy team. Regardless of how the series ends up, people will always talk about us.”

England now have just some days to regroup earlier than The Oval finale however Stokes mentioned: “We have to get over the disappointment and focus on that game.

“It is an enormous one for us and we all know 2-2 sounds loads higher than 3-1.”

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