ENG vs AUS | We let them off the hook in the last 10 overs, reveals Pat Cummins

On the used pitch where the ball stayed low for the most part of the match, Australian pacers used the pace, or the lack of it, to great effect to down England to 29 for 2 before Joe Root slumbered to 39 off 73. England could have persisted and got a good score on the pitch, but Australia was largely disciplined, not giving any freebies till the 40th over. 

"We'll have a review. If we'd kept them down - those last 10 (overs) went for 80-odd, I think - we're suddenly only chasing 200 and it's a different game. But what I will say is Adil and Tom are both really good batsmen. They might be batting at nine and 10, but when they walked out, we knew that they could still really hold the bat.

The entire game, sans those 10 overs, moved on an almost similar plane, with the wicket staying low and slow throughout. England employed the tactics of attacking three ways, resulting in Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes, and Sam Curran - three contrasting bowlers - picking three wickets each. Cummins acknowledged that Australia never thought the run-chase was going to be easier in the latter half.

"Having fielded for 50 overs on that wicket, we knew it was going to be really hard work. We were obviously really happy when Aaron and Marnus were going along nicely but I heard the commentators say 'they're going along beautifully, they're walking it home' but none of us were thinking that. We knew the last 80 or 90 runs were going to be hard work on that wicket, especially as the ball got softer and older."