Rain wasn't the sole source of frustration. Umpires deemed the light too poor for pacers to bowl, which led England to rely on their spinners and disrupted the rhythm of England's pursuit of a series-leveling victory in Manchester
Former captain Joe Root has made bold suggestions, urging organizers to extend play as long as possible during rain delays, especially during the summers in England, in order to complete the scheduled overs. Root expressed his frustration at the rain interruption on the final day of the 4th Ashes Test in Manchester against Australia.
England’s pursuit of a series-leveling victory in Manchester was hindered by persistent rain. Despite putting up an impressive performance and securing a substantial lead of 275 runs, the following day witnessed heavy downpours that disrupted the rhythm of the game and dampened the spirits of players and spectators alike. Only 30 overs were possible on Day 4 due to the inclement weather, a sharp contrast to the previous day’s play.
In the face of such adverse conditions, Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne rose to the occasion and notched up his 11th Test century. His stellar performance helped Australia reach 214-5, reducing England’s first-innings lead to a mere 61 runs. Labuschagne’s century provided hope for the Australian side, who are striving to maintain their 2-1 lead in the series.
However, the rain wasn’t the sole source of frustration on Day 4. Umpires deemed the light too poor for pacers to bowl, which led England to rely on their spinners – Moeen Ali and Joe Root. This decision sparked controversy and added another layer of complexity to the already rain-affected match.
“It doesn’t get dark here in England until 10 pm in the summer, why can’t we just play until we bowl the overs? There are so many different ways of trying to find opportunities to get as much play in as possible,” Joe Root told Test Match Special on Sunday.
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