4th Ashes Test: England face ultimate test of bold attacking approach | Cricket News – Times of India

England face a defining moment as they resume play in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Thursday. The fearless attacking ethos that has revolutionised the national team over the past year will be put to the ultimate test against Australia, who reached 299 for eight on the opening day after England captain Ben Stokes chose to ask the visitors to bat.
With a narrow defeat in the first two Tests, hosts England need victories in Manchester and London next week to secure an historic series victory. However, history and a gloomy weather forecast cast doubts on their chances.
Only Australia, led by the legendary Don Bradman in 1936-37, have ever recovered from a 2-0 deficit in an Ashes series. Bradman’s remarkable scores of 270, 212, and 169 in consecutive Tests enabled Australia to achieve that remarkable feat. Moreover, the weather forecast predicts rain in Manchester during the final two days at the weekend, adding further uncertainty to England’s pursuit of a series victory.
Despite these challenges, England’s captain Ben Stokes remained determined to put the Australians in to bat, winning the toss for the fourth consecutive time. This decision raised eyebrows, as only 10 out of the previous 83 Tests held in Manchester saw the captains fielding first, and none of them were rewarded with victory.
England started the day well, capturing the wickets of Australian openers Usman Khawaja (3) and David Warner (32) in the morning session. As the afternoon session progressed, Stokes continuously shuffled his bowlers and strategically placed his fielders, racing against time to take wickets.
While Steve Smith (41) and Travis Head (48) made useful starts, it was Mitchell Marsh (51) and Marnus Labuschagne (51) who reached half-centuries for Australia.

Reflecting on the day’s play, England’s pace bowler Stuart Broad, who achieved his 600th Test wicket by dismissing Head, expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance. Despite a pitch seemingly favourable to batsmen, England managed to take eight wickets and keep the run-scoring in check.
“Of all the pitches we’ve played on in this series, it feels like the most balls were middled today,” Broad remarked. “It felt like if you just missed, you went to the boundary. But ultimately there are wicket balls out there as well. When we won the toss, we weren’t hoping for 160 all out; we were just hoping for a decent chase. We are going to try to move the game quickly from the start of play tomorrow.”
(With inputs from Reuters)