Australia have retained the Ashes after the fourth Test at Old Trafford was drawn following heavy rain on days four and five.
England were five wickets from victory when the weather set in, but were denied a series-levelling win in a Test that had no reserve day.
The tourists will feel they have gotten away with one after being second best in Manchester, but will now hold on to the urn no matter what happens at the Oval.
There is still much to play for, though, as Australia have not won the Ashes outright in England since 2001 and can do so if they avoid losing.
Mail Sport‘s Ashes experts took ahead to the main talking points ahead of the final Ashes Test, which gets underway on Thursday.
Australia retained the Ashes at Old Trafford after rain prevented England levelling the series
The final day was washed out as rain fell in Manchester, where there was no reserve day
Ben Stokes’ side will feel aggrieved after dominating for three days of the Test
The weather robbed England! Shouldn’t we have reserve days? How about abolishing lunch and tea?
Nasser Hussain: Don’t we get enough out of our cricketers? This series has had two lots of back-to-back Tests, and you want to throw in a reserve day?
Given the schedule, it might help if the over-rate wasn’t so pedestrian. But let’s face it, this is the first draw of the Bazball era and there’s not much you can do if it rains for two days.
David Lloyd: Getting rid of intervals is a non-starter. Three two-hour sessions with a break in between is reasonable.
But the last day in Manchester was a travesty, so we do need to look into reserve days. They would only kick in if we lose a whole day’s play.
Paul Newman: As frustrating as the weekend was, it’s extremely rare for virtually two whole days to be washed out, even in Manchester. It was a freak of nature.
How are you going to build reserve days into the bonkers schedule? I agree we need to be more flexible with breaks. It was a bad look at Old Trafford to say ‘lunch is being taken’ when it wasn’t raining.
Lawrence Booth: This sounds like one of those kneejerk reactions cricket throws up when your team get the rough end of the conditions. There’s no time in the schedule!
It’s a huge shame that this series is being denied the decider it deserves, but every team throughout history — including Australia — has been robbed by the rain.
England opted not to declare on the third day despite the rain warnings, as Jonny Bairstow propelled England to 592
His unbeaten 99 ensured England would not face a sizeable fourth innings chase
How about more flexibility with start and finish times? Joe Root suggested we should just carry on until the day’s allocation of overs has been bowled? Did England cause their own problems by not declaring on Friday?
Bumble: The declaration was fine. Australia were being pummelled and if Stokes had called them in earlier, the Aussies would have been level by the end of day four and back in the game.
I’m afraid if we play until the overs are finished, teams will just go slower than ever. They just have to get on with it.
Don’t allow the 12th man to bring on towels and drinks every five minutes. I don’t see why we can’t start earlier — and cut out the dilly-dallying.
Nasser: It’s not uncommon for everyone to be sitting around at 10.30am in perfect conditions, so why not start then?
It worked for the World Test Championship final last month. In terms of extending the hours, you’d need a cut-off point, but if there are five overs to go and it’s bright sunshine, it’s fair to argue they should be bowled.
Booth: They could start earlier, but the overs would probably just expand to fill the time available. The problem is a lack of accountability for slow over-rates.
On the non-declaration, England thought they’d get 50 or 60 in on the last two days, and they decided batting once was their best route to victory. If Stokes had declared, Australia might have finished in front.
Newman: Definitely a need for more flexibility. And that includes getting on with play when the floodlights are on. None of this ‘You can only bowl spin’ nonsense. No issue with not declaring. Who would want to stop Jonny Bairstow in full flow?
Chris Woakes has been excellent since returning to the side but is an injury doubt for the Oval
Josh Tongue impressed at Lords and could come back into the side if Woakes is unavailable
So, the Ashes have gone but there’s a drawn series to play for at the Oval. What should England do? Will they be flat after Manchester?
Newman: This is still a huge game. Australia haven’t won a series in England since 2001 — don’t let them do it now!
England have considered Josh Tongue a back-up for Mark Wood but he looks the real deal to me. Australia rated him at Lord’s. If Chris Woakes isn’t fit, Tongue should come in.
Booth: Yeah, they were flat on Sunday, but they’ll be up for it again. They still have an unbeaten home Ashes record stretching back 22 years to protect. Their selection depends on who is fit.
On the basis of the series so far, England’s best seam attack is Broad, Robinson, Woakes and Wood. That’s bad news for Anderson, but the Oval has never been his favourite venue anyway.
Nasser: England will be more determined after what happened at Old Trafford. Since lunch on the second day at Headingley, they’ve played some really good cricket.
But they can’t lose 3-1 then claim they were hard done by. It has to be 2-2. As long as everyone is fit, pick your strongest side — which includes Jimmy Anderson if he’s ready.
Bumble: England won’t be flat. They will be flying into Australia again because they feel, if it were a boxing match, they’ve got their opponents on the ropes. Woakes doesn’t look fit to me, so as long as Ollie Robinson has recovered he should come in.
Jimmy Anderson’s career may be coming to an end after being below his best in this series
He has four wickets at 77 in the series and is by no means a shoo-in for England’s tour of India
Are we seeing the end of Jimmy Anderson’s great career? And what about Stuart Broad? He’s had a much better series than Jimmy But is there a case for a big Oval farewell for both?
Booth: England’s issue is that the next Test series after this is in the new year, when they play five tough games in India. It’s hard to see both Anderson and Broad on that trip.
Equally, next summer against West Indies and Sri Lanka is the perfect chance to blood new players. It’ll be up to Anderson, in particular, to tell the management how he feels.
Booth: There’s nothing coming from them to say they’re going to finish any time soon. Yes, Broad has been excellent. He wasn’t expected to play all five Tests.
He will now. And as for Jimmy, Australia won’t play a shot against him. He’s only going at two an over! Yes, he’s been quiet, but age is just a number with Jim…
Nasser: Only those two know how much longer they can go on. If they feel up for it, and physically fine, they should carry on.
Broad has bowled really well this summer, but I wouldn’t be writing Anderson off because he’s had three average games on surfaces that haven’t suited him. Don’t forget, he missed out at Headingley, where the ball did a bit.
Newman: Well, the end has to come some time. It’s not that time for Broad but Jimmy? Only he can tell.
And only Ben Stokes can tell him if England want to move on in India in January and in a low-key summer next year. Jimmy would accept it from Ben.
Captain Pat Cummins struggled to deal with England’s onslaught on day two at Old Trafford
The Australia captain has retained the Ashes but still has a lot to prove at the Oval
What about Australia? Pat Cummins looked broken at Old Trafford. Will this be a hollow triumph if the Aussies don’t win at the Oval?
Nasser: I don’t know about broken. Tired, maybe. He’s won the World Test Championship and he’s now retained the Ashes. I like a spinner at the Oval, so I’d bring back Todd Murphy at the expense of one of the all-rounders.
Newman: Sorry Nass, but I can’t see how Cummins can carry on as Australia captain. They were rudderless at Old Trafford. This could be the most underwhelming Ashes ‘win’ of all time for them. And certainly hollow if they don’t win at the Oval.
Booth: Australia don’t want to repeat the 2-2 of 2019, which they felt was misrepresentative.
Cummins looks knackered, for sure: he’s about to play his sixth Test in eight weeks and was battered all over Manchester. They need Murphy’s off-breaks, so I’d leave out Cameron Green.
Bumble: Cummins was very subdued in interview considering he’d just retained the Ashes. England believe the Aussies are shattered. Cummins just tosses up and Steve Smith captains the side.
I have never seen any Australia team in such disarray. England battered them at Old Trafford but you can’t get away from the fact that they’re winning 2-1!
How are our predictions looking? You’re still in the game, Bumble, with 3-1 to Australia. What do we think will happen in this last Test?
Bumble: As Elton John sang, I’m still standing! But I’m on a sticky wicket now. I hear it’s going to rain again this week! At least if it does, people won’t just blame the north because we’ve been getting pelters about our weather.
The Manchester Mayor asked why we don’t have more Tests. To which the south replied, ‘Because it always p***** down!’
England will be favourites in the final Test at the Oval but rain may spoil their chances
Nasser: It’s typical. Local lad Bumble gets helped by Manchester rain, and I get done by it. I knew there was a reason I never got on with Old Trafford.
Had the rain stayed away, I’d have been on for that 3-2 win for England. They feel like the team in the ascendancy and they may just square the series at the Oval.
Newman: England have been the better side. It’s criminal it’s not 2-2. They should have won at Edgbaston and have made all the running since ‘stumping-gate’. I’ll take 2-2 and a moral victory for England!
Booth: I said 3-2 to England and then — offered the chance to review it after Edgbaston — switched numbers. Both are going to be wrong, but the likeliest result now is an England win.
Australia have beaten them at the Oval only seven times out of 38, partly because they’re often exhausted by the time they arrive for the last Test.
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