Australia is at 299-8 at the end of the Fourth Ashes Test while England makes progress.

 With Australia leading the series 2-1, England has to win to force a series finale at The Oval.

The fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford got off to a tense and unpredictable start as England systematically eliminated Australia's batting order. With Australia now leading the series 2-1.

To keep their chances alive and force a series finale at The Oval, England sorely needed a win. Australia reached 299-8 at the close of the first day of play, with England scoring at regular intervals.

@englandcricket

2️⃣9️⃣9️⃣/8️⃣

At Old Trafford, it concludes the first day.

What a fantastic day it has been for @StuartBroad8. 

England cricket team and Ashes

Stuart Broad, a seasoned bowler, showcased his talent by taking two key wickets. When Travis Head hooked to long leg for his second wicket, Broad accomplished a remarkable feat, becoming just the sixth bowler in Test history to amass 600 wickets. The most consistently dangerous bowler for England was Chris Woakes, who managed a magnificent 4-52, including a superb catch by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow to get rid of Mitchell Marsh.

After winning the toss, England decided to bat first in an effort to take advantage of any potential bad weather this weekend and allow themselves enough time to take 20 Australian wickets. Australia's batsmen struggled to turn their beginnings into meaningful contributions despite being given perfect batting conditions. While Head supplied 48 runs and Steve Smith added 41 more, batters like Marsh and Marnus Labuschagne both managed to score 51 runs. However, the visitors were unable to have a significant influence, which left the game equally matched.

At one point, with the score at 255-7, Australia was in danger of being bowled out in a single day. However, Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc showed grit and perseverance to fend off England's bowling assault and prolong their team's innings. As evening approached,

Because of the huge stakes, there were tense moments throughout the game at Old Trafford. England chose to bat first because they needed to take advantage of the good bowling conditions, but the sunny weather turned out to be better for batting. As a result, neither team was assured of the result after Australia failed to take advantage of the finest batting day of the game.

Woakes stole the show as the star bowler for England, who also did a remarkable job in the field and with their bowling. He won a well-deserved position in the lineup for this game because to his key performance in the Headingley Test. The seasoned Broad, Mark Wood, Moeen Ali, and James Anderson continued the pressure on Australia's batting order in addition to Woakes.

It was clear that Australia needed to bat well in order to win back the Ashes. Their batters, however, found it difficult to build on promising beginnings and finally lost to England's organised and tenacious bowling attack.