‘Australia looked scared and rattled’: Michael Atherton and Michael Vaughan say rain saved Australia

Former England captains Michael Atherton and Michael Vaughan has known as the Australian cricket staff fortunate as rain helped them to retain the Ashes and added the Pat Cummins-led facet regarded scared, rattled and petrified within the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

The fifth-day washout handed the urn to Australia as essentially the most pessimistic forecasts got here to cross and relentless rain meant the gamers by no means made it to the center in a depressing weekend for England.

“Rarely have Australia been so outplayed as they were over the first three days of this game, and England’s brilliant and bold cricket deserved a more just outcome,” Michael Atherton wrote within the Times.

“Not since Ian Botham at his peak in the 1980s has an Australian team looked as rattled as they did in the field here.”

Michael Vaughan additionally echoed Atherton’s view saying it was a fortunate escape for the guests.

“Australia were timid, scared and petrified of this England team all week in Manchester and played for rain. Australia were rattled: I can’t remember saying that before. They will know that only rain saved them. It ranks as one of the luckiest escapes I can remember,” Vaughan wrote within the Telegraph.

“If England play anything like this again, they will win at the Oval and level the series. They will not have retained the Ashes, but might just have been the better team across the series.”

Vaughan additionally added that England will paid the value for errors within the first two Tests.

“But they can have no complaints about Australia retaining the Ashes, and this series not getting the grandstand finish it deserved at the Oval,” he wrote.

“England utterly dismantled Australia to a degree the place they have been unable to ship the fundamentals.

“They have been psychologically affected by the Bazball juggernaut. Australia forgot that in Test cricket in case your greatest ball will get hit, don’t go away from bowling your greatest ball.

“If England dance down outside off and whip it through mid-wicket, don’t stop bowling that ball. But England’s attacking instincts led to Australia suffering from amnesia.”

Atherton mentioned whatever the final result of the Test – and Australia retaining the Ashes – England’s Bazball method has delivered a very thrilling contest and the nation has a staff of which they are often proud.

Atherton wrote: “There are those that will level to the missed alternatives at Edgbaston, particularly, which imply the Ashes stay in Australia’s grasp for one more 2½ years. Instead of that lingering remorse being the strongest response, assume first the place England have been two winters in the past in Hobart, a shell of a facet that performed with no conviction or perception.

“The transformation since has been remarkable and even though “Bazball” won’t get its affirmation with an Ashes win, the nation has a staff of which to be proud.”