Australia skipper Pat Cummins feels that little different weather conditions could have helped the match result as the fourth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground against England ended in a draw on Sunday (January 9). Stuart Broad and Jack Leach batted out 69 balls for the ninth wicket before Broad and James Anderson batted out the final two overs on Day 5 and remained unbeaten at the crease. The five-match series stands 3-0 in favour of Australia and the fifth game will begin on Friday in Hobart.
“Great game of Test cricket. We got close. Bit less weather might have got us there. Obviously would've loved 4-0, but good match. The forecasts are hopeless, I learnt that this week. Getting close to 400, I felt we needed that. The wicket wasn't playing too many tricks. And I thought there was enough time. Smith did the vice-captain thing and said I will bowl (laughs). Bit of a running joke in the team that they should have a bowl-off to see who the No.1 leggie is in the team (Smith and Marnus),” said Cummins in the post match interview.
Citing poor light, Australians were asked to bowl spin from both ends. Nathan Lyon holding on tight to on end, vice-captain Steve Smith shared the attack from the other. Smith in his very first over picked Leach and broke a 69-ball partnership, this was smith’s first Test wicket in six long years.
England resumed the final session on Day 5 at 174/4, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow added 19 more runs, before Stokes (60) was sent back to the pavilion by Lyon which meant England had to see out 27.2 overs on the final day to walk away with a draw. English lower order hung on to pull an unlikely draw at the SCG, avoiding yet another defeat.
The final Test was scheduled to be played at the Optus Stadium in Perth but due to Covid-19 restriction in the state of Western Australia, the fifth Test was moved to Hobart’s Bellerive Oval. Hobart Test will be a day/night fixture.
