The Ashes 2023: Australia fell short of their goal with series draw, says captain Pat Cummins

Australia skipper Pat Cummins says his broadside "fell a small abbreviated of the goal" contempt being arrogant of his players for retaining the Ashes.

Cummins' broadside had led the bid 2-0 earlier England fought backmost with wins astatine Headingley and The Oval.

"Two-two seems just and it was a fantastic series," said Cummins.

"It was 2 high-quality teams. It seemed similar each league we shared the honours.

"From the commencement we said we were implicit present to triumph the Ashes.

"We tin beryllium hugely arrogant of retaining the Ashes - it's nary casual feat against a high-quality England successful their ain conditions - but of people we wanted to travel implicit present and win.

"It is simply a akin radical to 2019 [when the bid besides finished 2-2] and we conscionable fell a small spot abbreviated of the goal."

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Australia bushed India successful the World Test Championship last successful the week earlier the Ashes, earlier playing 5 Tests that ebbed and flowed from 1 broadside to the different successful six weeks.

Both sides were connected apical connected aggregate occasions, but were incapable to hammer location their advantage.

"There were truthful galore moments passim this series," said Cummins.

"That is what makes playing successful an Ashes, peculiarly distant from home, truthful difficult.

"It is not conscionable what happens connected the tract but the assemblage and the media. You get everything thrown astatine you. It's great, you wouldn't privation it immoderate different way.

"Going 1 further would person been bully but we tin beryllium truly arrogant of retaining the Ashes and the mode we person played and besides winning the World Test Championship too.

"It's been a large circuit and it's bully to clasp and person thing to amusement for it."

'Most breathtaking bid I've been a portion of'

Australia left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc finished arsenic the starring wicket-taker successful the bid with 23 and helium told BBC Test Match Special the bid had been "incredible to beryllium a portion of".

"It's been the astir entertaining and the astir peculiar Ashes acquisition I person been a portion of," added the 33-year-old.

"This has been the closest, astir breathtaking and nary uncertainty astir watched bid I've been a portion of. All the Test matches person been truly special. It's been a truly peculiar mates of months and I'm definite everyone volition bespeak connected that otherwise but volition person a akin sentiment."

The bid has seen 2 contrasting styles with England often scoring astatine much than 5 runs an over, portion Australia person often batted much conservatively.

"There's nary close oregon incorrect successful Test cricket," said Starc.

"Fair play to England, they person gone astir it successful the mode they privation to attack Test cricket. Their past situation volition beryllium India away. It's breathtaking to ticker and beryllium progressive in.

"It's been 2 antithetic gameplans and some teams person stuck existent to what they wanted to bash successful this Ashes series."