Pat Cummins lashed by cricket world over 'pathetic' Ashes tactics

Australia captain Pat Cummins has been savaged by the cricket world despite starring with the ball on a mixed day four of the first Ashes Test. The match is poised on a knife's edge going into what will be a dramatic final day after Cummins' men bowled the hosts out for 273, before ending the day at 3-107 - needing 174 runs to seal victory.

Australia slumped from 0-61 to 3-107 at stumps, with David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith all falling in the space of eight overs after a magnificent spell from Stuart Broad. If the Aussies are successful in chasing down the 281-run target it would represent their highest successful chase in England since Donald Bradman's Invincibles ran down 404 at Headingley in 1948.

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Cummins (4-63) and spinner Nathan Lyon (4-80 )both took four wickets apiece to be the pick of the Aussie bowlers, but there was a sense the tourists let England off after more negative field placements from Cummins. The Aussie captain was roundly panned for his defensive fields in the first innings and again on day four, Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara repeatedly took aim at Cummins' tactics.

“He just pushes the field back and waits and hopes,” Sangakkara said in commentary for Nine. Former England captain Nasser Hussain likened the Aussie fields to a one-dayer before correcting himself after saying: "There’s too many fielders out for a one-dayer”.

Nothing can take away how sensational Cummins was with the ball - his spearing inswinging yorker to remove Ollie Pope was an early contender for ball of the series. However, Aussie great Mark Taylor suggested the burden of being a fast bowler and a captain was prohibitive to the Aussie side.

After Lyon had Joe Root (46 runs) stumped for the first time in his career and removed the dangerous Harry Brook (46), Australia had a chance to go at England's middle order. As Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow settled though, Cummins' fields became increasingly more defensive and allowed the pair to push balls away for easy and vital runs.

Pat Cummins' captaincy under fire from Ashes viewers

Even when Cummins and Lyon removed Stokes and Bairstow, respectively, the Aussies failed to go in for the kill. Opting instead to try and get the England lower order out slogging, Cummins' men allowed England's final four batters to combine for a frustrating 68 runs, with his captaincy described as "poor" and pathetic by some viewers.

Match hangs in balance going into day five

Rain is forecast for Tuesday morning in Birmingham and is due to clear by lunchtime, leaving all results still on the table. Broad was the chief destroyer for England, getting the world's two top-ranked batsmen caught behind with Labuschagne nicking to an outswinger and Smith an inswinger.

That has left-first innings centurion Usman Khawaja as Australia's key man at Edgbaston, still at the crease on 34 with nightwatchman Scott Boland at the other end on 13. "It probably wasn't our greatest 40 minutes to lose Marnus, Steve and Davey but you have to give credit where it's due, England's bowled well," Australia spinner Nathan Lyon said.

"But I'm backing our boys, I'm confident our boys can go out there and bat well. "It's set up to be a thrilling Test match and it's been one hell of a way to start the series."

with AAP

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