"It's a tough pill to swallow" - Ben Stokes disappointed to see Old Trafford Test forced into a draw
England captain Ben Stokes admitted that the weather conditions at Old Trafford in Manchester left them frustrated, crushing their hopes of levelling the five-Test series. However, the all-rounder has set his sights on converting the scoreline to 2-2 in the final Test at the Kennington Oval, which starts on July 27.
Due to persistent showers on Day 5 in Manchester, no play was possible. England needed to take five more wickets, while Australia had 61 runs more to score to make the hosts bat again. As a result, the Aussies retained the Ashes, having taken a 2-1 lead after the first three Tests.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Stokes said that England did everything they could to win; hence, they were disappointed to have to settle for a draw. He said:
"It is frustrating when the weather dictates the outcome of a game. It's a shame. We did literally everything we could and the weather didn't help us. It's a tough pill to swallow knowing that's the reason we sit here with a draw. We will have to get over this disappointment and focus on that game as it is massive for us - 2-2 sounds better than 3-1. The mentality we have within the dressing room is go out and win. Everything we do is to be positive."
Australia took a massive stride towards retaining the Ashes urn on Day 4, scoring 101 runs in the only session bowled. Marnus Labuschagne (111 off 173 balls) stitched a 103-run stand with Mitchell Marsh before losing his wicket to Joe Root.
"All we can do is draw the series" - Ben Stokes
Stokes further claimed that a series decider at the Kennington Oval would have been special for English cricket, adding:
"I think a [series decider] would have elevated everything but what we have managed to do has done wonders for cricket in England. There is no doubt that if we had managed to get the result in this game then next week would have been very special, not just for Ashes cricket but English cricket. We know we can't get [the Ashes urn] back. All we can do is draw the series and that is what we will be trying to do."
Zak Crawley earned the Player of the Match award for his 189 in the first innings at Old Trafford.