Australia have retained the Ashes after the fourth Test towards England led to a rain-affected draw, with dangerous climate at Old Trafford washing out Sunday’s remaining day. The end result ensured Australia, because the holders, saved the Ashes at 2-1 up with one match left within the collection — no matter the results of subsequent week’s fifth Test at The Oval. Heavy in a single day rain left the outfield sodden and meant play was unable to start out as scheduled at 11:00 am (1000 GMT) in Manchester. No sooner had it been introduced that play would resume at 1200 GMT, supplied there was no additional rain, the bottom was subjected to a contemporary downpour lasting a number of hours.

The match was formally deserted by the umpires as a draw at 1624 GMT.

Despite this draw, Australia will nonetheless should keep away from defeat at The Oval if they’re to safe their first Ashes collection win in England since 2001.

“The group should be pretty proud. Our preference is to come over here and win the Ashes but it’s nice to retain it, albeit not in the best of circumstances,” Australia captain Pat Cummins stated.

England skipper Ben Stokes was understandably downbeat, saying: “It is a tough one to take, playing the cricket we did over the first three days, but it is all part of the journey.

“We knew what we wanted to do and that performed into our palms. It was one other do-or-die recreation for us and I do not suppose we might have executed rather more — bowling them out after which scoring 590.

“We have got one game left and we want to go out with a win and draw the series, like in 2019.”

Australia completed on 214-5 of their second innings, 61 runs behind England’s first-innings 592, after rain meant solely 30 overs’ play was potential on Saturday’s fourth day.

England managed to take only one wicket in that point when part-time off-spinner Joe Root had Marnus Labuschagne caught behind, however not earlier than the Australian had held up the hosts’ victory cost with 111.

‘The climate value us’

Old Trafford is infamous for climate delays — the bottom has now had 25 full days rained off in Test cricket, plus a further two whole Tests deserted.

England restricted world Test champions Australia to 317 of their first innings earlier than racing to 592 all out, thanks largely to opener Zak Crawley‘s breathtaking 189 and an unbeaten 99 from Jonny Bairstow.

Fast bowler Mark Wood ripped by Australia’s prime order on Friday with three wickets.

But Australia saved England at bay on Saturday throughout a stand of 103 between Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh (31 not out).

Crawley, the participant of the match, added: “We are quite flat. We were in a good position to win this game but the weather cost us.”

Sunday’s end result ended England’s bid to grow to be simply the second aspect in Ashes historical past to win a collection from 2-0 down.

The Australia workforce of 1936/37, impressed by batting nice Don Bradman, overturned that deficit to win 3-2.

Australia gained the primary Test of the present collection with an exhilarating two-wicket victory at Edgbaston the place Stokes controversially declared at 398-8 on the opening day, regardless that star batsman Root was 118 not out.

The vacationers went 2-0 up with a 43-run win at Lord’s, a match the place England collapsed from 188-1 to 325 all out of their first innings earlier than Stokes gave his aspect hope of attaining an unbelievable run-chase with a shocking 155.

England bounced again to take the third Test at Headingley by three wickets, however the Manchester rain ensured that wasn’t sufficient to spark an Ashes-winning fightback.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)