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'Unjust If Weather Has A Decisive Say....' Stuart Broad Hopes That Rain Stays Away On 5th Day Of Old Trafford Test

image-lkezrzwiStuart Broad has been impressive in Ashes 2023

England pacer, Stuart Broad, ha stated that the team is banking on some fortune with the weather at Old Trafford on Sunday. According to him, it would be unfair if rain denied England the victory necessary to push the Ashes 2023 into the series deciding in London.

Broad opens up on England's battle against rain in Manchester

Only 30 overs could be played due to rain on the penultimate day at Old Trafford in Manchester. England managed to secure only a single wicket when Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne was dismissed by Joe Root after scoring a century.

With one day of play left, Australia stands at 214/5 in their second innings. They need 61 more runs to avoid an innings defeat and make England bat again. But the weather forecast for the final day is unfavourable, which could thwart England's plan to equalize the series 2-2 before the final Test at the Oval on Thursday.

Broad expressed that England could do with a break from the unpredictable Manchester weather in his column for Daily Mail.

“We need a bit of luck from the Manchester weather gods,” wrote Broad.

The English veteran also wrote about the anticipation in the dressing room as the rain poured, expressing that it would be unfortunate if the weather became a decisive factor in the match.

“We just need another window to open to complete the job. Sitting in the changing room watching the rain fall yesterday, there was definitely a feeling it would be unjust if weather has a decisive say,” added the seasoned campaigner.

Moreover, it wasn’t just rain that was England’s nemesis on Day 4. Poor light conditions were another hurdle for England. 

After just 17 overs on the fourth day, umpires Joel Wilson and Nitin Menon decided that the light conditions were not conducive for fast bowling. This decision restricted the use of Mark Wood, who had impressive figures of 3/17 from the third day’s play.

As a result, England captain, Ben Stokes had to rely on spinners Moeen Ali and Joe Root for bowling. Root managed to claim the important wicket of Labuschagne, while also nearly dismissing Marsh, who was dropped by Harry Brook.