The hiatus since the conclusion of the third Ashes Test has marked the longest period without Test cricket in England since June 1. Nevertheless, cricket enthusiasts had the women’s Ashes to keep their excitement levels high and productivity levels low.
Now, the highly-anticipated clash between the men’s teams of England and Australia awaits at Old Trafford, representing the fourth thrilling chapter of what could potentially become the greatest Ashes tale ever told.
The preceding three encounters have been nothing short of nail-biters. Prior to this summer, out of the 340 Ashes matches, only 25 could be defined as ‘close’ Tests—decided by a margin of three wickets or fewer, or 50 runs or fewer. However, this summer alone has already witnessed three such contests.
As if that weren’t enough, this series has seen a variety of intriguing incidents, including Zak Crawley hitting the first ball for four, members of the Marylebone Cricket Club transforming into passionate England supporters, and a heated controversy over Alex Carey’s haircut.
Therefore, it wouldn’t be surprising this week to witness Chris Woakes being kicked out of a curry house in Rusholme, Joe Root getting a tattoo at Affleck’s Palace, or Usman Khawaja signing with Manchester City, citing a long-held ambition to play under Pep Guardiola.
For England, their narrow victory at Headingley holds little significance if they fail to secure a win at Old Trafford. They find themselves once again in the last chance saloon, hoping to avoid relying on miracles.
The unprecedented feat of an England team coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win an Ashes series is within their grasp, but the possibility of losing 4-1 remains equally plausible. There are parallels to the events of four years ago when Australia rebounded from a devastating defeat in Leeds to triumph at Old Trafford and retain the urn. On that occasion, coach Justin Langer famously had his team rewatch Ben Stokes’ heroic innings to exorcise their demons. This time, the Australian players scattered across Europe during the break. Some may argue that the interruption in England’s momentum has benefited the Aussies more than the home side.
This will be the last Ashes Test held north of Nottingham for the next eight years, as neither Headingley nor Old Trafford are part of the 2027 series schedule—a fact that devastates England captain Stokes.
While Headingley has been kind to England, Old Trafford has been a less fortunate venue. The last time England tasted victory in an Ashes Test in Manchester was back in 1981—more recent than their triumph at the Gabba.
In an attempt to change this unfavorable record, England has called upon local lad and all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson. Even Anderson has a personal record to alter, as he has never taken a five-wicket haul in a Test at Old Trafford and has not been on the winning side in an Ashes Test for eight years.
The hope is that the playing conditions at Old Trafford suit Anderson better than the lifeless pitches at Edgbaston and Lord’s, where he struggled to make an impact.
The pitch at Old Trafford is expected to have some pace, although not as much as at Headingley. Additionally, a grim weather forecast suggests favorable overhead conditions, with the threat of rain adding an additional variable and the prospect of further drama.
Stokes, known for his innovative ideas, has suggested that a rain-shortened match could work in England’s favor. His theory is that England performs best when dictating the pace of the game. He cited last summer’s example, where England won the final Test at The Oval against South Africa in just over two days after one day was washed out and another canceled due to the death of the Queen.
Stokes said, “There might just be a few different tactical decisions to make. If there is potentially even 100 overs lost in the game, we might have to look at pressing the game on quicker than we normally would.”
While England seems open to embracing the rain, Australia appears to be grappling with uncertainty, leading to the omission of frontline spinner Todd Murphy. Murphy, who played at Headingley as a replacement for the injured Nathan Lyon, bowled only two overs in England’s second innings and has been replaced by the fit-again all-rounder Cameron Green.
Had Lyon been fit, his place in the team would have been unquestioned. However, when captain Pat Cummins tried to explain the decision regarding Murphy’s exclusion, he remarked that it was “not comparing apples with apples.”
Interestingly, Cummins was sitting near the honours board at Old Trafford, which, if he had looked closely, would have shown that nine out of the last 14 five-wicket hauls in Tests at this venue were taken by spinners. Australia has not entered a Test without a specialist spinner since 2012.
Including both Green and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh in the same side strengthens Australia’s batting depth. With Mitchell Starc at number nine and Cummins himself at number ten, it becomes more challenging for England to take the 20 wickets required for victory, particularly in a rain-affected match.
However, with Australia only needing a draw to retain the Ashes, their approach might appear slightly conservative.
If the Australian team’s pragmatism or uncertainty leaves room for England to seize the opportunity, even with their own team lineup looking slightly patched-up, they could turn the tables.
The current combination of players includes two members of the top three with a Test average below 30, a wicketkeeper more prone to catching a cold than an edge, and a bowling attack that exceeds the age limit for inexpensive life insurance.
Moeen Ali’s continued presence at number three is a testament to his extraordinary summer, as he not only emerged from Test retirement but also missed a day of training to receive his OBE, faced trouble for using a drying agent on his hand, was dropped from the team, and had a finger wound healed by a magical honey gel sent by an England fan.
Moeen stands on the verge of a significant milestone, needing just 23 runs to become the fourth Englishman—after Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff, and Stuart Broad—to achieve the Test double of 3,000 runs and 200 wickets.
Stokes himself has a similar milestone within reach, requiring three wickets to achieve the even rarer double of 200 scalps and 6,000 runs. Only Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis, true greats of the game, are members of that exclusive club. Given the condition of his knee, those three wickets currently seem more of an “if” than a “when.”
As for Broad, he needs two wickets to reach the milestone of 600 in Test cricket, joining the ranks of four other players. It would be fitting if his regular bunny, David Warner, were his 600th victim.
All of these feats are possible in front of what is expected to be another boisterous crowd, eagerly bouncing up and down in an enormous temporary stand that feels just one loose bolt away from collapsing in a haze of stale beer and fancy dress.
