Australia skipper Pat Cummins defended his decision to delay a team declaration after being denied a fourth straight Test win by plucky England in Sydney on Sunday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The battered English team defended desperately in the final overs to cling on for a draw with just one wicket left -- and end Australia's quest for a five-Test series whitewash ahead of this week's final Hobart match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The question asked after the gripping finish to the fourth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground was: Did Cummins, in his first series as captain, leave his declaration too late on Saturday when Australia had amassed a massive lead?<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Australia declared at 265 for six, leaving the tourists with a massive 388 runs to win. The best fourth innings winning chase at the SCG is 288-2 by Australia against South Africa in 2006.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"I wanted about three and a half runs an over," Cummins told reporters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"The wicket was still not playing too many tricks and I thought if they batted really well 350 was pretty achievable out there.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"I thought 110 overs was enough time."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the end, Australia came up just short of victory after controlling virtually all of the match and again dominating the tourists.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It was the fifth draw in eight Sydney Tests, with many impacted by the weather.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Australia have also failed to bowl the opposition out twice in three of their past six Tests, including the last two against India last year when there was a draw in Sydney and a loss in Brisbane that cost Australia the series and a place in the World Test Championship.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Two of them have been here at the SCG, where the day five wicket doesn't play like a traditional, broken up day five wicket," Cummins said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"In the back of our minds we knew it may potentially be a bit of a grind out there.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"It's something we can look at. From this year to last year I think we've made some improvements. We probably stuck at some plans a little bit longer."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Usman Khawaja's remarkable Player of the Match performance, with centuries in both innings, ensured Australia were the only team that could win the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Terrific game, we would have loved to win but great fight from England," Khawaja said at the post-match presentation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"It could have gone either way.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We've played beautifully to this point, almost gone 4-0 up.<\/p>\r\n\r\n