Australia may have secured the Ashes urn, but England still has the chance to salvage a draw in the series, preventing their rivals from achieving a historic first series win on English soil since 2001.
England is determined to level the series and prevent Australia from achieving their first Ashes victory overseas in over two decades, as the fifth and final Test commences at The Oval today.
While Australia has already secured the ultimate prize and retained the urn due to the rain-induced draw in Manchester, putting them 2-1 ahead and ensuring they couldn't lose the series, there's still much at stake. England captain Ben Stokes emphasized this week, "I think 2-2 sounds a lot better than 3-1."
Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum have chosen the same England XI that dominated the fourth Test before weather conditions spoiled their chances of victory. They are standing by veteran bowler James Anderson despite his fluctuating form. For Pat Cummins, this represents an opportunity to become the first Australian captain since Mark Waugh in 2001 to lead the team to an Ashes series victory in England, breaking the streak of defeats in 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2015, along with a draw four years ago.
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