SYDNEY: England’s batters – Stuart Broad and James Anderson held their nerves calm; assisting the visitors to draw the fourth Ashes Test to avoid the whitewash.
Broad and Anderson batted sensibly in the final two overs of the match, preventing the touring side from their fourth loss in the ongoing Ashes series.
Broad remained not-out for his eight of 35 balls, while Anderson faced six deliveries. England, in the end, managed to finish with 270/9 on the final day of the fourth Test; chasing 388.
Resuming at an overnight score of 30/0, the touring side again fumbled as Haseeb Hameed departed after scoring only seven as the left-arm pacer – Mitchell Starc castled the batter with a brilliant inswinger. The side lost its first wicket for 46, could only add 16 runs on the final day.
Soon after the side slipped to 96/3 as their top-scorer Zak Crawley departed after a brilliant 77; including 13 boundaries. English captain – Joe Root and Ben Stokes recorded a valuable partnership for the team; adding 60 runs before Root departed after scoring 24.
Last inning centurion for the visitors – Jonny Bairstow then joined Stokes at the crease, the pair could only add 37 runs before Stokes perished. He scored a brilliant 60 off 123 balls.
The side then slumped to nine-down for 270 as the lower-order hero Jack Leach walked back to the pavilion after a valiant 26 off 34 balls. However, the duo of Broad and Anderson resisted and avoided the touring party from the defeat.
For Australia, Scott Bolland starred; picking three wickets, while Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon claimed two wickets each. Starc and Steven Smith shared one wicket apiece.
On the fourth day, the Aussies set a massive target of 388 for England on the back of Usman Khawaja’s brilliant century in the second innings. Khawaja scored 101* as the home side declared at 265/6.
For scoring centuries in both the innings, Khawaja was adjudged as the Player of the Match.
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