Ashes 2023: “This group has been really motivated to win the series,” says Pat Cummins ahead of Oval Test

Australia haven’t won an Ashes series on English soil since 2001.

Australia were outplayed by England in the first three days of the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford last week.

Asked to bat first, Australia’s first innings folded for 317 and then the Three Lions piled up a mammoth 592 on the board.

After conceding a massive lead of 275 runs, the visitors were struggling at 214/5 in their second essay but they were helped to a draw by incessant rainfall throughout the final day of the Test match.

Australia may have retained the urn thanks to the Manchester draw, but skipper Pat Cummins said their aim is to win the Test series in England and they would be looking to do the same in the fifth Test, slated to be held at The Oval from July 27-31.

It is pertinent to mention here that Australia haven’t won an Ashes series on English soil since 2001. They were 2-1 up heading into The Oval four years ago but England fought back to square that series 2-2.

"I think the good thing is that it's a really similar group to 2019," Cummins said in a pre-match press on the eve of the fifth Ashes Test.

"That Manchester (in 2019) was a big win to retain the Ashes, which we hadn't done for a long time off the back of Headingley, even Lord's, where we probably missed a trick last series.

"I felt like that was a big exclamation mark on the end of that series with still one Test match to play."

He added: "It feels really different here, this group has been really motivated to win the series. We know that it wasn't our best week last week and at the end of the game it was a bit of a pat on the back, 'well done, we've retained the Ashes' but really it feels like the job's not done."

The Oval Test could mark the end of an era for the Australian team. Several players are heading towards the wrong side of 30s and veteran opener David Warner’s retirement speculations have been rife.

However, Warner on Tuesday (July 25) dismissed the rumours, insisting that he intends to stick to his plan of finishing on home soil early next year.

"It's a hard one," said Cummins when asked about managing a transition from one generation to the next. "I certainly don't want to rush anyone out of the door."

He added: "I think this is about the fourth Ashes series where (England veteran paceman) Jimmy Anderson has said it's going to be his last one, so you never quite know."

(With AFP Inputs)