'We are not focused on winning. We want people to enjoy: England star's odd comment after Ashes heartbreak 4th Test in Manchester

 Australia hold in the Ashes after rain washed out a draw on Day 5

Australia hold in the Ashes after rain washed out a draw on Day 5

Last week's fourth Test between England and Australia ended on a bitter note as rain in Manchester forced the match to end in a draw after playing the entire fifth day. The result meant that Australia retained the Ashes for the third time in a row in England, winning the first two Tests before returning to England at Headingley. England was in a dominant position in the Fourth Test. They had Australia 214/5 with them still 61 runs ahead in the second innings, when rain ensured there would be no further play in the Test.

Naturally, the England camp was disappointed to have missed a golden chance to stay in the series. Even if England wins the final Test at The Oval, Australia will retain the urn. Many suggested that England's past decisions - particularly their declaration in the first innings of the opening Test - had come to haunt them, but team captain Ben Stokes insisted he had no regrets.

After England declared their innings on 393/8 on the opening day of the Test, Australia eventually won by two wickets at Edgbaston. While Stokes admitted it was a brutal end to his comeback campaign in the Ashes, teammate Harry Brook has a more optimistic view of the situation. The young batsman believes it was a "moral victory" for England in Manchester as they maintained an edge over their arch-rivals throughout the game.

We were dominating the game last week so if the game had played out, I would like to think we would have won,” Brook said, as quoted by FOX Sports. “So if we can win this week, yeah it can be a moral victory.

It was England's first Ashes under the duo of Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, whose aggressive approach in the longest format is said to have revolutionized Test cricket. This approach – known as 'Baseball' – saw England record series wins over New Zealand, South Africa, and Pakistan, but at home, the team fell behind Australia. Interestingly, Brook claims that the team's focus is not on "winning" but on "entertaining".

“... You can’t do anything about the weather. We were dominating and had it played out, I am sure we would have won. But the rain won last week.”

“We’re not focused on winning as a side, we’re focused on making people enjoy watching and bringing Test cricket alive again,” Brook said, referencing the appeal of the team’s ‘Bazball’. “I think we’ve done a decent job of that in the last 12 months and it’s been exciting to watch. It’s definitely been exciting to play in."

The final Test of the series begins on July 27, which will also be Australia's last Test on English soil. The Australian team had been in England since May to prepare for the World Test Championship final in June, where Pat Cummins' men were victorious against India.