Pat Cummins forced to defend controversial call after thrilling Ashes Test

The battered English team defended desperately in the final overs to cling on for a draw with just one wicket left — and end Australia’s quest for a five-Test series whitewash ahead of this week’s final match in Hobart.

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The question asked after the gripping finish to the fourth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground was: Did Cummins, in his first series as captain, leave his declaration too late on Saturday when Australia had amassed a massive lead?

Australia declared at 6/265, leaving the tourists with a massive 388 runs to win. The best fourth innings winning chase at the SCG is 2/288 by Australia against South Africa in 2006.

“I wanted about three and a half runs an over,” Cummins told reporters. “The wicket was still not playing too many tricks and I thought if they batted really well 350 was pretty achievable out there.

“I thought 110 overs was enough time.”

In the end, Australia came up just short of victory after controlling virtually all of the match and again dominating the tourists.

It was the fifth draw in eight Sydney Tests, with many impacted by the weather. Australia has also failed to bowl the opposition out twice in three of its past six Tests, including the last two against India last year when there was a draw in Sydney and a loss in Brisbane that cost Cummins and Co. the series and a place in the World Test Championship.

“Two of them have been here at the SCG, where the day five wicket doesn’t play like a traditional, broken up day five wicket,” Cummins said.

“In the back of our minds we knew it may potentially be a bit of a grind out there.

“It’s something we can look at. From this year to last year I think we’ve made some improvements. We probably stuck at some plans a little bit longer.”

Cummins came under criticism from some pundits, who questioned why he didn’t declare earlier to give Australia more time to bowl England out.

Aussie legend Mark Waugh told Fox Cricket: “He’ll be thinking, ‘Hmm, I think I went a bit long, I better win this game for us now otherwise I’ll be looking back thinking why did I keep batting?’

“I think they batted too long. They did not need to bat as long as they did.

“I think 340 was plenty and if they wanted to get to 380-400 they should have got there quicker. There was rain forecast, there were a lot of things that said you don’t need to get to 400.”

Shane Warne told Fox Cricket: “First of all he (Cummins) is going to learn a lot today. He probably won’t sleep tonight, he’ll be thinking about all the things he could have done, all the options he had.

“Let’s not forget, there were seven overs of rain, a missed run out, dropped catches and if Australia had of held their catches and got the run out — Jonny Bairstow I think was first or second ball — and they got the seven overs of rain they might have actually been able to get it done a lot earlier in the day.

“Look, whenever it gets to nine wickets down everyone’s going to say you should have declared earlier. That’s always going to happen, that’s just the way it is, that’s just the way the game goes.”

Usman Khawaja’s remarkable Player of the Match performance, with centuries in both innings, ensured Australia was the only team that could win the match.

“Terrific game, we would have loved to win but great fight from England,” Khawaja said at the post-match presentation.

“It could have gone either way.

“We’ve played beautifully to this point, almost gone 4-0 up. “Couldn’t have asked for much more this series. Hopefully next game we can win that, then win a few games away. World Test Championship, everything counts.”

Originally published as Pat Cummins forced to defend controversial call after thrilling Ashes Test