- Updates from the opening day of play at the Oval
- The Spin podcast, with special guest David Gower
- Any thoughts? Email or tweet @JPHowcroft
The captains have had their say.
Joe Root, unsurprisingly, is focussed on the future.
Build towards winning in Australia and use the next two years to focus on putting in a winning tour Down Under. That’s a real incentive for everyone: to be part of something special down there.
We’re very hungry. Last week’s result at Old Trafford was brilliant but all the guys know this is bigger, this is our Grand Final. We want this Test just as much as any other in this series.
James Robinson is in the live rubber camp. “The Aussies have been much the better team and deserve to win the series,” he emails, “so to draw it would be particularly beautiful.” Without projecting my views too strongly on others, in a summer that has contained a World Cup victory – and not just any World Cup victory, THAT World Cup victory – snatching a late draw in a home series that doesn’t recapture the Ashes all feels a bit, meh. That notwithstanding, I am still looking forward to the cricket for cricket’s sake.
Written by Jonathan Howcroft (now), Adam Collins (at the Oval) and Rob Smyth (later)
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2019/sep/12/ashes-2019-england-v-australia-fifth-test-day-one-live under the title “Ashes 2019: England v Australia, fifth Test day one – live!”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
