Ian Bell expects England to beat Australia in the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval to draw the series.
Rain scuppered England’s Ashes comeback as the fourth Test at Old Trafford ended in a draw and ensured Australia retained the urn.
Ben Stokes’ side had Australia on the ropes in Manchester as they chased an Ashes-levelling victory, but only 30 overs were bowled on the final two days of the Test to frustrate the hosts.
England will still want to avoid a series defeat at The Oval, while Pat Cummins’ team are one game away from becoming the first Australian side to win the Ashes on these shores in over 20 years.
Ex-England star Bell cannot see that happening, however, and believes the hosts will win in south London to draw the series 2-2.
Australia took a commanding lead in the series with narrow victories at Edgbaston and Lord’s, before England hit back at Headingley and dominated in Manchester only for the weather to intervene.
‘The series is going to be a 2-2 draw for me,’ Bell, who played in seven Ashes contests, told Betfair.
‘At this stage England seem to have the psychological upper-hand over Australia. Their dominance with the bat was the like of which we’ve never seen against the Aussies.
‘Didn’t they say when they came here that Bazball wouldn’t be possible against them? That view may have changed.
‘Pat Cummins looks exhausted, as you would expect for a guy who has essentially already played five Tests back-to-back.
‘He could be very tired indeed in the sixth in south London. He seems to personify his team’s energy levels. They look like they are running out of steam.
‘So I’m confident about an England win to make it 2-2, which would be a much better reflection of what has been an amazing series.
‘England are looking fresh and they’re players are stepping up with big performances. Zak Crawley is an example. It’s huge that England don’t have to rely on the same old faces of Root and Stokes to produce extraordinary moments any more.
‘Australia, by contrast, haven’t really addressed their issues. Will David Warner play at the Oval? They may have to bring back Toddy Murphy, the spinner, who was not used by Cummins in the fourth-innings at Leeds.’
Meanwhile, Australia all-rounder Cameron Green admitted the tourists ‘got out of jail’ as they clinched the Ashes in a rain-hit fourth Test.
‘We definitely got out of jail. We didn’t play our best game,’ the 24-year-old said.
‘The rain gods were in our favour the last couple of days. There’s no point denying it. Whilst we were behind the game, and you never know what would have happened, cricket is a funny game, but England dominated this one.
‘It’s a weird feeling at the moment. When we look back we’ll be proud of what we have done so far.’
MORE : Michael Vaughan claims England have been ‘better’ despite Australia retaining Ashes
MORE : England’s Ashes washout must prompt cricket to finally address weather woes
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