Ashes 2023: Which team do the odds favour for the 5th test?

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With the rain playing spoil sport in Manchester, the Pat Cummins-led Australia retained the Ashes urn. Australia had won the first two games of the Ashes 2023 series and needed at least a draw in the last three games to retain the Ashes once again. England showed signs of a comeback after they won the third test at Headingley, Leeds. In this article, we will look at which team the odds favour in the 5th test.

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The 4th test at Old Trafford, Manchester

The Australian team knew they would need only a draw to retain the Ashes and thus picked an all-seam attack lengthening their batting depth. The visitors dropped their lone spinner in Todd Murphy and brought Cameron Green back into the squad. The decision received mixed reactions from experts and fans. Many believed that the decision came with the thought of going for a draw instead of a win. The third test at Headingley (Leeds) showed signs of an England comeback. After Australia managed 317 runs in the first innings, England posted a huge total of 592 runs. The hosts helped their cause as they scored these runs pretty quickly in just 107.4 overs thanks to a great century by Zak Crawley. Crawley scored 189 runs in just 182 balls. Later in the innings, Jonny Bairstow’s knock of 99 not out in just 81 balls also helped England in gaining a substantial lead of 175 runs.

The weather was always going to be a huge factor in the game and England needed something special to win the game. Mark Wood and Chris Woakes bowled beautifully in tandem at the start of the innings to make inroads into the Australian batting lineup. With just 71 overs bowled in the third innings, England only managed to pick up 5 wickets as Marnus Labuschagne’s century ensured that there were no further hiccups for the Australian team.

The 5th test at The Oval, London

For Australia, a win or a draw in the fifth test match would mean an Ashes win in England for the first time since 2001. For England, a win would be necessary to avoid a defeat in the Ashes. A day after the 4th test, the betting odds favour the hosts to win the game. You can check out the top betting odds for the Ashes from 10CRIC. For England, a win would be necessary in the 5th test. Notably, England had lost the last Ashes at Australia with a 4-0 margin.

For Pat Cummins and Australia, a win or a draw would be a great result. The Cummins-led side has already won the Ashes at home, the World Test Championship and has retained the Ashes in England.

Pat Cummins after retaining the Ashes

The Australian captain after the 4th match said there is still a lot of work needed to be done. Cummins said, “As a group we are proud that we have retained the Ashes but it’s off the back of not our greatest week. It feels like it’s good to retain the Ashes, but we know we have got a fair bit of work to do for next week.” Speaking on how the celebrations would be, the captain said, “I don’t think there will be any huge celebrations. Maybe, a little bit of pat on the back for retaining the Ashes. There’s been a lot of work gone into putting us into a position where a draw does make us retain the Ashes. But there’s a Test match starting in three days so that’s going to be our full focus.”

Also Read: Does India need to stay away from all format players?

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