A wasteful Australia appear to have lost the chance to win the Ashes

In an era where losers are winners it’s the English who are grinning, and while the Ashes will remain in Australia, it is Pat Cummins and his men who appear disappointed.

Steve Smith knew. And so did Stuart Broad.

The post-play press conferences on day two at The Oval should have in theory yielded similar moods from those on the opposing sides.

After all, just 12 runs separated the teams in another seesawing encounter. Indeed it was Australia marginally ahead on the scoreboard.

But in real terms, England was in front. Broad likes to project bravado on any day but even with his side in arrears and having already missed the chance to regain the urn, he said he was “delighted” with the way day two had panned out.

On the flip side, Smith used the word “disappointing” twice, “disappointed” once and lamented how he would have “liked a few more partners” after topscoring with 71.

The Aussies have been much subtler with their public declarations before and during this series than their Gonzoesque hosts.

However Australia hasn’t been averse to the odd gentle reminder that they felt like England had enjoyed the better of the conditions for fair chunks of the series, in particular on day three at Headingley, where the hosts ran through Australia in the gloom after hours of rain.

Australia will rue a number of missed chances in the fifth Test. Picture: AFP

And while the tourists lucked out when rain hit Manchester to save them last weekend, that had only come after Australia lost four straight tosses to start the series.

So when Pat Cummins finally called correctly this time around, Australia had the opportunity and licence to cash in underneath solid cloud coverage. And in many respects they did, creating 15 chances in little over two sessions.

The problem was that they needed to probe for as long as they did, putting down five catches in a particularly sloppy display.

Still at just one down and with a decent foundation laid late on Thursday, Australia should have been optimistic about capitalising on what looked a good batting wicket.

And even though Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja’s go-slow on the morning of day two may have been over-the-top, it was done in difficult light and with the promise of sunnier hours ahead.

That greater sunshine ensued, but rather than take full toll, Australia’s middle-order folded. Alex Carey’s mindless scoop straight to short cover off Joe Root at what should have been a brilliant time to bat epitomised the Aussies’ wastefulness.

That there were plenty of runs out there was drummed in further by the way Australia’s tail wagged, which made Smith’s decision to all but throw his wicket away while Cummins was going comfortably all the harder to comprehend.

Smith understood that Australia should still have been batting on Saturday morning, when England’s openers benefited from glorious conditions, wiping out the lead within an over and punishing an attack that probably figured they wouldn’t be bowling until deep into day three.

Steve Smith reacts after Josh Hazlewood drops a catch off Moeen Ali of England during Day Three of the fifth Test. Picture: Getty Images

Australia bowled and fielded modestly at best on Saturday. Too much latitude was given to Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley early in their innings, while Crawley’s eventual dismissal looking to drive Cummins made you wonder why Australia had not sought to tempt the opener outside off more often during the first session.

Boundary-riders Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc joined the long list of Australians to drop catches in this match, while callow spinner Todd Murphy lacked the accuracy of Nathan Lyon.

But if this match and therefore a series win is ceded, the damage will not have been done so on day three. Much like Smith and Marnus Labuschagne gifting wickets to Moeen Ali late on day two at Headingley when the weather was wonderful for accumulating, Australia was again awfully wasteful.

By late in the day Murphy removed Joe Root for 91, getting one to turn significantly and keep low. It was a welcome reprieve for Australia, but also suggested they’d missed boat to bat on the best of this deck.

In its second innings at Edgbaston and first at Lord’s, England failed to strike the balance between Bazball and game sense, throwing away wickets that may ultimately have cost them the Ashes.

But since then it has been Australia more often playing like millionaires. England blew it, but the Aussies might have too.