Ashes 2023: Australia’s only hope to save the fourth Test is a wet weekend

The abyss beckons if the predicted rain doesn’t save Australia. On another big day for England, Josh Hazlewood concedes there’s one thing he really wants.

David Warner managed just 28 as Australia hope the weather will be on their side in Manchester. Picture: Getty Images

A tired Australian outfit resembles a man hanging from a ledge in the fourth Test. Assistance may arrive, but the grip grows weaker, the limbs wearier as every wicket falls.

The abyss beckons. David Warner (28), Usman Khawaja (18), Steve Smith (17) and Travis Head (1) have already perished and they still trail by 162 runs on the first innings.

Those left must, somehow, summon the conviction to bat on in the hope that help arrives in the form of that large band of rain that was hanging over Ireland and moving toward the Manchester over night.

Things are grim for the visitors, but on the bright side, the prospect of going to The Oval 2-2 is thrilling, if somewhat intimidating given the opposition’s rising confidence.

England was bowled out on the third day for 592 after lunch – a first-innings lead of 275. At stumps in the second innings, Australia was 4-113 with Marnus Labuschagne 44no and Mitchell Marsh 1no.

Josh Hazlewood mouthed something about still hoping to win, but admitted rain was what they really wanted.

“I’d be very pleased,” he admitted. “It’s obviously forecast and forecasts can change all the time. Obviously rain and light plays a big part in cricket and has done forever. It’d be great to lose a few overs here and there and make our job a little easier of hanging in there.”

Even the most ambitious knew there was no hope of winning from there, so batting out the day, and hopefully delaying the inevitable became the plan, but the task has already proved too much for too many.

Josh Hazlewood says he’d be ‘very pleased’ if rain helped Australia out. Picture: AFP

The first to go was Usman Khawaja.

The opener, who has soaked up so many balls and scored so many runs in this series, got an edge so fine that he didn’t believe he’d hit it until it was confirmed upstairs.

His partner David Warner was still there and looking – stop me if you’ve heard this before – looking good.

After lunch Warner lost concentration and offered a half hearted cut-dab at a delivery from Chris Woakes onto his stumps and was gone for 28.

The problem for the opener this series is that too often he has got starts and conspired to get out. You will have, batting right at the top of the order, dismissals like those at Lord’s where you cop a good delivery and are beaten, that makes it all the more of a crime to throw away starts.

Mark Wood’s pace continues to trouble the Australians. Picture: Getty Images

Warner’s 28 follows his 32 in the first innings. Prior to that he has returns of 1, 4, 25, 66, 36 and 9.

He has one last opportunity in England to add a little more meat to the bones of his exertions on various visits. Warner averages 26 here and has never scored a century in an away Ashes.

It would be a fairy tale finish for the great servant of Australian cricket but let’s get back to the man on the ledge.

The Australians’ grip on the game grew a little weaker when Mark Wood bounced out Steve Smith. How the visitors needed the reliability of Smith vintage 2019. The most recent version of the beloved batter does not quite have the air of indomitability this one does.

The exuberance of England’s celebration when Jonny Bairstow gloved the nick behind indicated just how important they see his wicket.

Travis Head was caught in no man’s land often in the first innings against the short ball but survived. In the second Wood’s pace again had him in the same place and this time it was all over.

Everywhere where you look there are issues.

England kept Australia’s bowlers out in the middle for over 100 overs for the first time in the series. Mitchell Marsh must be a concern as he did not take the field for the first hour. Mitchell Starc bowled well despite appearing to hurt his shoulder the evening before.

Pat Cummins is tired, and why wouldn’t he be? A bowling captain, he has turned out for five successive matches and faces a six. Any quick would be feeling it, but this one has affairs of office as a further burden.

To this point in his captaincy career it has not been an issue but the cracks were there in this match.

Hazlewood defended his mate after play.

“It’s a good learning experience,” he said. “He hasn’t been captain for a long period of time and we’ve probably had the better rub of the green for the whole period he’s been captain, for most of it actually. So yeah, again, learning experience and he’ll no doubt sit down with the coaches and go through a few things. But he’s a very quick learner. Hopefully it doesn’t happen again. But in those positions he is still very calm. It’s very much ‘we’ll do this plan for now and see how that goes’. And then we’ll change plans and it’s nothing flustered at any stage.”

Pat Cummins is tired, and why wouldn’t he be? Picture: Getty Images

Cummins has sent down 130 overs in the series, Starc 93.3 and Hazlewood 83, but both have played one fewer match.

Before the game the captain spoke of the importance of fresh legs at the back end of the series. Michael Neser and Scott Boland are both relatively fresh.

Bazball too is proving to be something of a conundrum, if there is a way to put that genie back once it is out of the bottle Australia is yet to find it.

The first session of day three began with some good signs for the visitors. Bowling was relatively tight, field placements generally confident and the proceedings had a considerably more orderly air than those in the corresponding session of the previous day.

Hazlewood did well to pick up early wickets and his 5-126 was just reward for effort, but when the tail arrived Bairstow threw the switch to Bazball and things got messy just as they had on the second day.

Australia appeared to have no idea how to counter the attack as the wicket keeper belted 14 boundaries – four of them sixes.

He put on 66 with James Anderson (5) and was within one run of a century when Cameron Green trapped the bowler in front.