Former England captain Michael Vaughan expressed his admiration for England’s dominant performance during the fourth Test of the Ashes 2023 at Old Trafford, Manchester. Speaking on BBC’s Test Match Special, Vaughan praised England’s commanding position in the ongoing series.
With Australia trailing by a substantial margin of 162 runs at the start of the fourth day, Vaughan emphasized that the Australian team would face a challenging task to regain control in the five-match Test series.
Vaughan confidently stated, “Australia are on the ropes, whatever happens here, I see an England dominant performance at the fifth test in Oval. England have got them. This is a flat wicket, and this Australian side has also been out to the short ball so consistently. I don’t think Australia will come back and do something special at the Oval.”
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Jonny Bairstow’s aggressive and rapid 99 significantly boosted England’s first-innings lead, tilting the game in their favor with a lead of over 250 runs.
However, the highlight of the day was Mark Wood’s hostile spell of bowling that troubled the Australian batsmen. Wood’s three crucial wickets kept England firmly in control, putting them in an excellent position to level the series.
Australia’s batting line-up struggled, with key players like Usman Khawaja and David Warner dismissed cheaply. While Steve Smith showed some resistance, he failed to make a significant impact, adding to Australia’s troubles. Although Marnus Labuschagne scored a century, the lack of support from other batters hindered Australia’s chances.
As the fourth day came to a close, England held complete control of the match. However, their chances of victory on the final day depend on the weather, with predictions of more rain on Day 5. Due to rainfall the play is yet to begin on the fifth day.