The Ashes 2023 has been heated as ever. The five-match test series is reaching its final stages with just one match to go, to be played at The Oval, London. While Australia took an early lead winning the first two matches, England made a comeback in the third game at Headingley. They were in a strong position to win the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester. However, rain played spoilsport as Australia managed to retain the Ashes with one game to go. Here are the top three talking points from the fourth Ashes 2023 Test.
The Australian openers have not been all too consistent in the series. While Usman Khawaja started the series in great style with a hundred and a half-century in the two innings of the first Ashes 2023 Test at Edgbaston, David Warner has recorded the highest score of 66 in eight innings so far. Aussies have had to rely upon their middle-order a lot and that is not ideal, to say the least. The vulnerability was exposed to the fullest in the last test when the opening partnership could only yield 15 and 32 runs in the two innings, respectively. This is surely something for the Australian team management to work on.
While Australia’s openers struggled, English opener Zak Crawley put up a lesson in Bazball, smashing 189 runs off 182 balls, at a strike rate of 103.85. His knock included 21 fours and three sixes. His anchoring knock was a big reason why England could post a mammoth total of 592. England will be cursing their luck because they were in a great position to win the game but the rain decided to play spoilsport and England failed in their chance of levelling the series with one test to go.
Finally, the biggest talking point of the game has to be rain. There was only around one session of play on Day 4 whereas the entire Day 5 was washed out. England had taken a huge lead of 275 runs in the first innings, thanks to their quick-fire batting. In reply, Australia had cut their lead to 61 runs but had lost five wickets. As such, it is undeniable that England were in a great position to win the game and level the series to have a chance at winning it in the final Test at the Oval. Instead, they’ll have to set their best foot forward in the final test to salvage a draw.