Former England Test cricketer Mark Butcher has opined that the disappointed Australian bowlers will have a point to prove when they enter the fifth and final Ashes Test 2023.
The Ashes final will take place at The Kennington Oval in London from July 27-31. Australia already retained the Ashes urn and will be looking for a match win to win their first Ashes series on English soil in 22 years.
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Speaking on Sky Sports, Mark Butcher said Australia will be disappointed with their performance in the Manchester test. He added that the Australian bowlers would want to show in the Ashes final that they cannot be intimidated by batsmen.
“The Oval Test, regardless of the fact that the ballot box is not in play, is going to crackle and bubble,” Butcher said on Sky Sports.
“Australia will be hurt after their performance here and their players will want to show they can’t be bullied and crushed for six years.”
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Some of the batsmen still have things to prove about scoring runs here in the UK – Mark Butcher
Mark Butcher further said that some of the Australian batsmen have regularly failed on English soil and have things to prove in the final Test. He added that neither player on the Australian team has won an Ashes series in England, so they will ultimately be looking to claim victory at The Oval Test.
“Some of the batsmen still have things to prove about scoring runs here in the UK and none of their players have won a series in England,” Butcher said of the Australian batsmen.
Heading into the fifth Test, Australia lead the series 2-1 after winning at Edgbaston and Lord’s. The fourth Test ended in a draw after continued rain at Old Trafford in Manchester. The visitors were undoubtedly saved by rain by not being in a good position in the match after England’s dominance with both bat and ball.
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