“Apologies… Pat and the team had control over the weather”,Aaron Finch mocks English Media as Australia retain Ashes.
Former Australian captain Aaron Finch took a playful dig at England pundits following Australia’s retention of the Ashes in a somewhat lackluster manner. England’s hopes of clinching their first Ashes series victory since 2015 were dashed when heavy rainfall on the final day of the fourth Test in Manchester prevented any play.With Australia leading the five-match series 2-1 after the fourth Test ended in a draw, they retained the urn as they were the holders from the previous Ashes series in 2021-22.
Several former England players, including Michael Vaughan, Nasser Hussain, and Michael Atherton, expressed their disappointment over the outcome of the Manchester Test. Vaughan stated that it wasn’t the ideal way for Australia to retain the Ashes, while Hussain believed it was a disheartening way to end England’s hopes of making a comeback in the series.Responding to an Australian media report on the criticism from the English media, Aaron Finch, who played five Tests for Australia in 2018, tweeted “Apologies… Pat and the team had control over the weather.”
On Day 3, England seemed to have the upper hand after reducing Australia to 113/4. However, only 30 overs were played on the fourth day, with Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh holding their ground before Joe Root claimed the wicket of Labuschagne. Australia still trailed England’s substantial first-innings lead of 275 runs on Day 5. Unfortunately, the final day’s play was disrupted by persistent rain, denying the hosts the chance to take the remaining five Australian wickets and wrap up the innings.