Watch England vs Australia Live Stream

Pat Cummins took two wickets in two balls to leave Australia requiring eight wickets to win the fourth Test and hold the Ashes following another exceptional thump from Steve Smith on day four at Old Trafford.

SCORECARD | AS IT HAPPENED

The world No 1 Test batsman made 82 preceding holing out off Jack Leach to bat England out of the game as Australia proclaimed on 186-6 to set Joe Root’s side a triumph focus of 383.

Cummins then expelled Rory Burns and Root in the first over as England’s odds of sparing the game dove in the end phases of a momentous day in Manchester with the hosts finishing the day on 18-2.

Only several hours earlier, England had quickly raised any expectations of another exceptionally doubtful success when Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer decreased Australia to 44-4 yet that thought was before long rejected as Smith got the chance to work, ruling a 105-run represent the fifth wicket with Matthew Wade (34).

Three wickets from Mitchell Starc (3-80) had seen England bowled out for 301 before in the day, a first-innings shortage of 196, with Jos Buttler making 41 to guarantee they stayed away from the pursue on.

The day started with Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow (17) at the wrinkle in England’s first innings yet after a strong beginning a full, quick and in-swinger from Starc pegged back Bairstow’s center stump and broke the association.

Four overs later, Stokes (26) was gone, his attentive thump finished as Starc hit the ideal line a division outside off stump and found the edge with Steve Smith available to eat up the opportunity at second slip.

Bowman (1) trailed fiddling unnecessarily outside off and scratching behind off Cummins – and his incensed response proposed he realized it was a poor shot.

That was the trigger for Buttler to travel through the riggings, hitting Nathan Lyon (0-89) for a couple of limits in the following over. He and Broad (5) fought through to lunch yet the last was bowled not long after the restart with England still 15 shy of keeping away from the pursue on.

Drain (4no) turned out to a blissful gathering from the Old Trafford swarm after his endeavors in the third Test at Headingley and not long after a limit, pounded through the spreads by Buttler, affirmed that Australia would need to bat once more. Britain advanced minimal further however as Cummins (3-60) amazed Buttler in the following.

Britain required a quick start with the ball and they got it when Broad caught David Warner lbw with the last chunk of the first finished, the 6th time he has expelled the left-hander in the arrangement as the Aussie opener withdrew without scoring for the second time in the match.

Marcus Harris improved, accepting a survey with him as he strolled off for six, another lbw unfortunate casualty for Broad (2-54), and when Archer had Marnus Labuschagne (11) leg before three overs later, England detected a chance.

Toxophilite had a couple of words for Travis Head (12), who was glad to return at the quick bowler, yet it was the England man who had the last say by leveling the left-hander’s center stump as the Manchester group thundered their endorsement.

As ever however, Smith was demonstrating more earnestly to move and England’s opening bowlers couldn’t prop up everlastingly – in the long run removed from the assault – each having astounded a superb nine spell.

Smith and Wade, who likewise delighted in a verbal trade with Archer, removed Australia from issue either side of tea and took the assault to England from the beginning of the night session with Smith discovering holes in the field over and over in his own normally strange style.

He inevitably fell 18 runs short of a century when he chose Stokes at long off, attempting to hit Leach over the top having overseen recently the 293 keeps running in the match.

Swim pursued before long, radiantly got behind by Bairstow off Archer (3-45), and having swung the bat for a further 3.3 overs, Tim Paine (23no) chose enough was sufficient and made the assertion.

Britain were left with thirty minutes to bat before the nearby yet were in confusion after only four balls. To begin with, Rory Burns (0) sent a main edge to Travis Head at spread and with the following ball Cummins had his second, bowling Root (0) with a shocking conveyance that pinched away and took the highest point of off.

Joe Denly (10no) and Jason Roy (8no) endured to stumps yet with an entire day’s play expected on a wearing fifth day pitch, it will require a colossal exertion from England to keep the arrangement alive heading in the last Test of the arrangement.