A Bazball trouncing but the Ashes surrendered: Six takeaways from England’s draw at Old Trafford

England dominated proceedings across the first three days but were ultimately denied the chance for a final push for victory with only 30 overs possible across the final two days.

Here are six takeaways from the drawn Test as Australia ensured that the Ashes remained with them, as they have since 2017.

Australia finally get a Bazball trouncing

For the first three days, this was Bazball at its brutal best. England restricted Australia to a relatively modest 317 in batting friendly conditions before obliterating Australia’s bowling attack to all parts in a stunning 107.4 overs assault that saw the visitors’ two attack leaders Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc concede 266 runs between them from 48 overs.

Australia looked short on ideas in combatting England’s belligerence. Zak Crawley and Joe Root racked up the fastest ever 200-run partnership in the history of Test cricket, England took 178 runs in an extraordinary session on the second afternoon while a day later, Jonny Bairstow and James Anderson added 66 runs from 49 deliveries for the 10th wicket. Pat Cummins looked short on ideas for stopping the England rampage and several tactical decisions, including the call to omit the off-spin of Todd Murphy in favour of including both seam-bowling all-rounders in Mitch Marsh and Cameron Green, were under scrutiny. Australia may have retained the urn, but in Manchester they were are as far away from subduing Bazball as they have been at any point this series.

Bold England selections vindicated

England have made several bold selections this series that other regimes wouldn’t have even contemplated. To stick with Zak Crawley who after 34 Tests still averaged in the mid-20s in Test cricket, to give Jonny Bairstow the gloves after a career-threatening leg break, to retrieve Moeen Ali from his existence as a white-ball globetrotter to fill their holes in the spin department and at three. All three came off in some style at Old Trafford. Crawley blasted an exhilarating 189 that instantly goes down as an Ashes classic, Moeen averted a possible top order collapse and Bairstow ran Australia ragged.

Could England have done any more?

For all their dominance, England couldn’t get over the line. 26 overs were lost to slow over rates and five sessions were lost to rain, this effectively was a three-day Test. With that in mind, it’s hard to be too critical of England not managing to force victory in such a short space of time. That said, they are partly to blame for the lost 26 overs. They were not noticeably any quicker than Australia in getting through the overs, but this is a wider issue that partially reflects both sides’ seam heavy approach and what is now the accepted status quo when it comes to the speed of play by administrators and officials. Could there have been a declaration? Possibly, but England batting as long as they did increased the chance of an innings victory and in their defence, the forecast for the weekend, and Sunday in particular, worsened significantly after day three.

Over rates becoming more and more of an issue

Seeing 26 overs just vanish into thin air feels preventable. It has become normal to see sessions lost to slow over rates and there doesn’t seem to be much energy to do anything about it. There is no flexibility around start times to make up for lost overs and play routinely finishes at 6:30pm with overs left to bowl and hours of sunlight left. In the height of summer, play could easily go on until 8pm if necessary but administrators display as much urgency in addressing the issue as the players show in getting through the overs.

Labuschagne finds form

Third innings hundred are often forgettable and Marnus Labuschagne’s 111 is far from the headline story from this Test but it was significant. For him personally, it marked a return to form after a quiet start to the series that prompted murmurings over his ability to transfer his success at home overseas. For his side, he ensured that Australia reached the end of day four unscathed and his positivity was a welcome change to the rut of negativity that Australia had found themselves in over the first three days.

A deflating end of this England team?

This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. It seemed written in the stars that the two sides would leave Manchester with the series level and that the Ashes would be decided by an epic finale in London. There will not be a euphoric end the series for Ben Stokes’ men and while there has been no indications at all that the England captain is even contemplating stepping down, this still feels like an ending.

This is a really old team. Anderson turns 41 next week, Broad is 37. Moeen is 36, Woakes and Wood are 34 and 33 respectively. Bairstow, Root and Stokes are all 33, 32 and 32. How many of this team will be here for the next home Ashes? How many will be there in Australia in 2025/26?