The oddsmakers picked England as the favorite to win the 2023 Ashes and bring back the urn after an eight-year absence.
While Australia‘s aggressive style of Test cricket was the buzz of the town, they also retained the Ashes after the fourth Test in Manchester ended with a draw due to rain thanks to a brilliant gameplan they developed to deal with the Bazball.
Alastair Cook, a former England captain, explained Australia’s strategy by claiming that the guests have been rather quiet throughout the series, waiting for England to make errors before seizing the opportunity to win. Alastair Cook continued, “Australia’s brand of cricket made the difference, not England’s audacious declaration at Edgbaston, which is when the squad lost mental focus.
That declaration is not what I attribute it to. In that first Test, England led for the majority of the game. At the last end, an opportunity was lost. How many times would you bet on your own team to win by 50 runs with two wickets remaining? To win that game, let’s say, 9 out of 10. Ironically, nevertheless, Australia’s hostile behavior toward England throughout this series occurred just once, during that game. Carey was suddenly on the offensive when he went out during that Pat Cummins inning. For a spectacular inning, he received a fantastic prize, according to Cook, who was quoted by News18.
“Australia has played a somewhat apathetic role in this series
Attempting to stand back and let England make mistakes. Which is unusual for Australia, in my opinion. They can set their beers down and declare, “We got that tactic right,” he continued, if they win the series 3-1.
The 38-year-old further stated that England deserved to win the fifth and final Test at the Oval and tie the series at two games each. In his opinion, Ben Stokes’ team played more aggressively and deserved to wrap up the series on even ground.
“However, I think England would have been entitled to a draw. They most likely had more days of dominance than Australia did, he continued.
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