Australia’s Test captain, Pat Cummins, acknowledged that the side missed out on an opportunity to win the Ashes, in 2019, in England. Cummins expressed his optimism for a different outcome in 2023, emphasizing the importance of capitalizing on opportunities.
In the previous Ashes series played in England, Australia initially took a 1-0 lead but faced a setback with a dramatic loss at Headingley. Although they rebounded with a dominant win in Manchester, they faltered in the series finale in London, leading to a drawn series. Although they were able to retain the Ashes on the back of 4-0 series win at home in 2017-18.
“I felt like we left something behind in 2019. I think the second and third Tests were both ours to win and, obviously, the fifth Test we didn’t play particularly well. Those opportunities are rare over in England, and we just didn’t quite grab a couple that came up. But again, the core of our side is similar this time around to 2019 as is theirs so hopefully we’re better for it,” Cummins told WA Today.
The upcoming Ashes series will witness a fierce competition between the Cummins-led Australian team and the Ben Stokes-led England team. The highly anticipated five-match series is set to commence on June 16, starting with the first Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham.