Tough calls needed for series victory

The Australian team knows it must make some tough decisions if it is to create history and win its first Ashes series on English soil since 2001.

Australian captain Pat Cummins after his retained the Ashes at Old Trafford on Sunday Picture: Getty Images

The Australian team knows it must make some tough decisions if it is to create history and win its first Ashes series on English soil since 2001 at The Oval in the fifth Test starting on Thursday.

The bowling attack in the fourth Test looked one dimensional and plans were poor when England’s batters got on top at Old Trafford, suggesting off-spinner Todd Murphy must come back into the side. The attack will look even more homogenised, however, if left-armer Mitchell Starc’s shoulder injury keeps him from the side in the fifth Test.

Mitch Marsh, who would presumably stay in the side, forcing selectors to drop Cam Green, also has a fitness question mark after he failed to take the field in the first hour of the third day.

Skipper Pat Cummins, who admits he has had better days, looked exhausted after five straight Tests – including the World Test Championship final against India at The Oval last month – and will have to dig deep to play a sixth.

England has been strong since its second Test defeat at Lord’s and there is a school of thought that the series changed when Jonny Bairstow was controversially stumped by Alex Carey on the final day.

The abuse on the day by the members in the Long Room and by the public every day since has been relentless and particularly pointed toward the wicketkeeper who would be in the running for a nicest guy in cricket award should one exist.

England won the third Test at Headingley and had all the running of the game in the fourth.

Former Australian captain and commentator Ricky Ponting admits the crowd’s behaviour is the worst he has seen and didn’t dismiss the notion the incident could be affecting the course of the series.

“I’ve never seen a more hostile environment on a cricket ground than what I saw that afternoon at Lord’s,” he said on Sky and said that he was targeted at the ground when leaving on day five.

“Do I think it’s affected them? That’s a really interesting question that you want to ask the players. Alex Carey is the one who has copped the brunt of it, every time he has gone out to bat you have heard what the crowds have had to say to him. Every time he goes up for an appeal the same chants go up again. I remember with 2005 you feel like the swell of the whole country is starting to build and grow against you.

“There is no doubt that has happened here, there is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that from that moment on, lunch on day four, the country’s swell has started, they are behind the England team maybe more than they were at the start of the series.

“That would have some effect on the Australians, they haven’t done much wrong in their cricketing careers these guys, never been through this before. Pat’s never been subject to this much scrutiny as a captain or a player before.”

Cummins is not looking for excuses and admits he bowled poorly at Old Trafford while also struggling to come up with a strategy to contain England’s batters.

“As a bowler it’s frustrating I didn’t bowl very well at all, not up to the standards I try to keep myself to,” he said. “In terms of captaincy I think there has been a few of those moments when the (England) batters have played well, the game moves very quickly.

“We knew coming into this series they were probably going to have a couple of days where it went their way and the game moves really quickly, so it was one of those days. I think across the board in all facets we just were not at our best. It happens. I think the good thing is if you look at the body of work of this team it’s quite rare we have an off week across the board. I don’t think we can put our finger on just one thing.

“They played really well this week, which I think highlights a few of those areas even more.”

England captain Ben Stokes was a little downcast at the outcome of the game saying his side was “utterly dominant” but comforted himself that history would remember the team fondly.

“I said in the dressing room the reward for your work isn’t what you get, it’s what you become,” Stokes said. “I think what we’ve managed to become is a team people will remember.”