James Anderson, David Warner in focus in Ashes finale

Rain ruined England’s comeback surge at Old Trafford to keep Australia 2-1 ahead, but they need to win the Oval Test starting on Thursday to square the series

Will this be a Jimmy Anderson swansong despite protestations by the greatest fast bowler in Tests, who turns 41 on the fourth day of the final Ashes match at the Oval, that retirement thoughts are far from his mind? England’s bowling flag-bearer for close to two decades could well be playing in his final Ashes contest this week.

James Anderson in action(AFP)

Despite taking four wickets at an average of 76 in the three Tests he has played this series, the man who needs 11 scalps more to hit the 700-wicket milestone and whose 182 Tests are next only to Sachin Tendulkar’s record 200, insists there are more miles in those legs.

But Anderson and England will feel flat going into the Oval Test starting on Thursday with Australia having retained the Ashes. A winning spell in his home ground would have been memorable, but for the last day and much of the fourth day’s play at Old Trafford being washed out.

For all the great cricket that has lit up this Ashes, it dashed England’s hopes of snatching a historic series triumph from 0-2 down, especially having felt under siege in their own backyard and then having won the argument. Australia were clearly the team losing the sharpness and England would have fancied forcing only the second instance in Ashes history where a team has come back from being 0-2 down and won the series.

Australia return to the ground where they began their long tour of England by beating India in the World Test Championship final. The weariness of playing a sixth Test on the trot though is bound to show. Already their big fast bowlers, led by skipper Pat Cummins, are struggling to provide breakthroughs on pitches tailor-made for the aggressive England batting Bazball tactic focuses on.

The hosts will be motivated to draw the series 2-all and prevent Australia from winning their first Ashes in England since 2001. At Manchester, Australia were 214-5 in their second innings, still needing 61 to make England bat again, when play ended on the fourth day.

“Leaving Manchester after the game was done, I've never left the field, never left a game emotionless,” Stokes said. “It was a really bizarre feeling the way the game petered out because of the weather. You sort of look back and wish maybe we either got beat or Australia managed to pull a draw off in that situation.”

England batters and their versatile pace attack – the Aussie batters struggle against the pace of Mark Wood, Chris Woakes’ movement and Stuart Broad’s combativeness – give them the chance to win all arguments they need to win.

Wood and all-rounder Woakes have been passed fit, but the focus is on Anderson’s waning prowess. But he received a vote of confidence from skipper Ben Stokes.

“Jimmy Anderson is the greatest fast bowler to play the game,” he told the media on Wednesday. “He's not had the impact and the wickets he'd have liked to in this series, he's come under a bit of flak, but he's a quality performer.”

Cummins insists he is not fatigued and that his team is determined to win the series, but the Aussie batters, barring Mitch Marsh, have not stood up to the England fast bowlers. The home team, already winning over the detractors, won’t need anyone to remind them how they halted Australia in the final Test at the Oval in the 2019 Ashes to draw the series.

Despite the lead, which means a draw would seal the series win, Australia will themselves feel flat at their diminishing performance. Like Anderson, opener David Warner too has faced retirement questions. But the 36-year-old opener, whose selection for this tour wasn’t a certainty to begin with, is on shaky ground.

In 10 innings in the five Tests starting with the Oval game against India he has scored 245 runs at an average of 24.5. Since he hit 200 against South Africa last December, he has one fifty (66 in the Lord’s first innings) in 14 innings.

“I don't have an announcement. For me it's about trying to work hard in the nets as I did today and if selected, go out there and play and try and win an Ashes series,” Warner said going into the Oval Test.

Unless he produces a big innings, he may be on more shaky ground than Anderson.