Ashes 2023: 'If we win at The Oval, it will be moral victory' - Brook after Australia's Manchester escape

England and Australia are set to lock horns in the fifth and final Test of Ashes 2023, starting on Thursday (July 27) at The Oval, London. After Pat Cummins-led Australia had a narrow escape in the fourth Test, in Manchester, the visitors managed to retain the urn and will now gear up towin their first-ever Ashes series triumph in England since 2001.

Meanwhile, Ben Stokes-led England dominated proceedings in the fourth and penultimate Test, at Old Trafford, Manchester, from the word go. They opted to bowl first and dismissed Australia for 317 -- riding on Chris Woakes' five-for -- and made a mammoth 592 in reply with brisk contributions from Zak Crawley (189) and fifties from Jonny Bairstow (99*), Joe Root, Stokes, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali.

In their second essay, Australia did put up a fight but were still trailing by 61 runs with five wickets in hand at stumps on Day Four. With the fifth and final day's play being washed out completely due to persistent rain, England missed a chance to level the series 2-2. They will now hope to win the series decider and prevent the Aussies from claiming the five-Test series 3-1.

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Ahead of The Oval Test, Brook said if the hosts win the finale, it will be 'a moralvictory'. "We were dominating the game last week, weren't we? So if the game had played out, I would like to think we would have won that," Brook told reporters. "So if we can win this week, it almost can make it a moral victory," he opined.

'It would be lovely to not give them that privilege'

Brook further added, "It's a shame the weather ruined it for us because we'd have felt very confident going into this game at 2-2. We haven't lost yet. They've only retained it. So, if we win this week, it's a draw isn't it? That would be lovely (to deny Australia a drought-breaking series win). It's not nice drawing is it, but it would be lovely to not give them that privilege."

Australia won the series opener in Edgbaston by two wickets and went 2-0 up with a 43-run win in the second Test at Lord's. England bounced back in style to win the third Test, in Headingley, with a three-wicket win before the following match ended in a draw due to rain.

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