Australia’s dominant form in the Ashes 2023 took a sharp turn as they faced a challenging situation in the ongoing fourth Test in Manchester. With a poor performance in both batting and bowling, the visiting team is on the verge of another defeat, drawing criticism from former cricketers Glenn McGrath and Darren Berry. Skipper Pat Cummins faced the brunt of the criticism for his clueless leadership. After posting 317 runs in the first innings on a batting-friendly pitch, Australia’s bowling appeared lackluster as England secured a comfortable lead of 275 runs.

In their second innings, the Pat Cummins-led side struggled, losing four wickets and trailing by 162 runs at the end of Day 2. McGrath expressed disappointment, suggesting that Cummins seemed tired and that having a fast bowler as captain always carried the risk of burnout. He observed that Australia lacked a clear plan and executed poorly, putting them on the back foot in the ongoing Test.

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“Australia tried a few things. I don’t think they really knew what to do. They were sort of chasing their tail a bit, and I’m not sure they executed their plans that well. Pat Cummins just looks a little bit tired and jaded to me, and that was always a risk of having a fast bowler as captain. England’s got the momentum now, and it’s always hard to steal it back off the team that has it, especially when they’re playing well,” Glenn McGrath commented to BBC.

Berry, the former Victoria cricket captain, also voiced his frustration, describing the match as “unwatchable.” He even tagged former Australian legend Merv Hughes, predicting that Cummins would relinquish his captaincy after the conclusion of the Ashes series.

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“This is unwatchable. Goodnight to all lovers of the game of our great game of cricket. This is absolutely insane to anyone watching this s**t with half a clue about the game. Pat Cummins is a magnificent cricketer no doubt but remember this msg. He will resign from the captaincy after the Ashes series,” Berry wrote on social media.

This is unwatchable. Goodnight to all lovers of the game of our great game of cricket. This is absolutely insane to anyone watching this shit with half a clue about the game. Enough is enough now 🙈🤷‍♂️😤 keep banging em in lads WTF

— Darren Berry (@ChuckBerry1969) July 21, 2023

As Australia struggles to regain their momentum, they face an uphill battle to avoid another defeat. Cummins, as the skipper, will need to lead from the front and rally his team to stage a comeback in the series.