"They did what they had to do" - Glenn McGrath on Pat Cummins and Co. retaining the Ashes urn

Former Australian bowler Glenn McGrath reckons Pat Cummins and Co. have done the job they had to while retaining the Ashes urn. Despite calling out the side for their negative tactics in the 4th Test in Manchester, the former New South Wales seamer believes the win wasn't 'un-Australian'.

Due to persistent rains on Day 5, no play was possible and the match ended in a draw. However, Australia maintained a strong position a day prior to the final one, thanks to a 103-run partnership between Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh, with the former scoring a hundred.

In his column for BBC, McGrath stated that Australia's tactics helped the cause even if it was a negative approach. He wrote:

"It was not the normal Australian way but I would never call it 'un-Australian' because this is a successful Test team. They did what they had to do. It may have looked ugly and negative but Australia's tactics worked. Their first job when arriving here was to retain the Ashes, which they have now done courtesy of their 2-1 lead with one match to play."

However, the 53-year-old wants the visitors to play aggressively in the final Test at the Oval even if it means losing. He continued:

"Australia may say this ploy has worked but now they have retained the Ashes I would like to see them be more aggressive. Play with freedom and take to the field without fear. I would rather see Australia lose the last Test by backing themselves, really taking it to England, rather than going down with a whimper."

The World Test Champions were significantly behind the game in Manchester. They managed only 317 in batting-friendly conditions and conceded a 275-run lead by bowling erratic lines.

"They certainly should have won the first Test at Edgbaston" - Glenn McGrath on England

Glenn McGrath. (Image Credits: Getty)

The 124-Test veteran underlined that a 3-1 series win would be massive for Australia, but reckons England will rue missing chances in the first two matches. He explained:

"To return to Australia with a 3-1 victory would be a huge response to Bazball - an incredible achievement. People will say England could be 3-0 up and they would be right. Had they been smarter earlier in the series and not dropped so many vital catches, they would still be alive. They certainly should have won the first Test at Edgbaston."

The fifth and final Test starts of the series starts on Thursday (July 27) at the Kennington Oval.