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'Apologies… Pat And The Team Had Control...,' Aaron Finch Trolls England Legends For Rain Complaints After Manchester Test

Jatin

image-lkgzqdpxIncessant rain spoiled play on the final two days in Manchester 

Former Australian captain, Aaron Finch has hit back with a tongue-in-cheek response to English veterans, who expressed dissatisfaction with the rain-affected outcome of the fourth Test in the Ashes 2023.

Finch takes swipe at English pundits

This comes in the wake of Australia retaining the Ashes after the fourth Test ended in a draw, a result heavily influenced by two days of persistent rain.

On Twitter, Finch wryly responded to an article spotlighting the discontent of England legends, including Michael Vaughan, over the influence of rainy weather on the game's result.

"Apologies… Pat [Cummins] and the team had control over the weather,” Finch tweeted, poking fun at the claims.

For the unversed, the fourth Test in Manchester was marred by continuous rain, which led to only 30 overs being bowled on the fourth day and completely washing out the fifth day. 

Prior to the rain interruption, Australia were on the back foot, and many speculated they were heading towards defeat. The unexpected weather conditions, however, allowed them to salvage a draw.

Coming to the game, Australia's performance in the first innings was quite below-par, with the team managing to score only 317 runs before England's Chris Woakes’ fifer took them out. In contrast, England delivered a power-packed response with a score of 592, largely thanks to brilliant performances by Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow.

The start of Australia's second innings was shaky, with the team wobbling at 108 for 4. Nonetheless, a much-needed century from Marnus Labuschagne pushed the score past the 200-run mark. The team was at 214 for 5, still trailing England by 61 runs when the game was called off due to the rain.

While English legends have directed their ire towards the weather conditions, they also noted their side’s failure to seize opportunities for victories when they arose. Specifically, the decisions made by captain Ben Stokes in the first two Tests have come under the scanner.

Meanwhile, as the series heads into the final Test, Australia holds a 2-1 lead over England. The fifth Ashes 2023 Test will start on Thursday, July 27 at the Kennington Oval in London.