Throwback to the greatest series of all-time: Ashes 2005

Fifth Test - The Oval

September 8-12

Strauss was an embodiment of calmness and resolve in that classic Test ton

The fate of the urn wasn't decided yet, although England couldn't lose the series from here. An Aussie win would mean the urn would remain Down Under and England just couldn't afford that after the kind of effort they had churned out in the series.

Andrew Strauss led the way with his maiden ton in Ashes as England but Matthew Hayden promptly replied with one of his own as the teams split near even in the first innings. The fate of the urn would depend on the fateful second innings of both teams with England leading by a mere six runs. Such had been the series that even a run’s lead accounted for something and England seemed to take belief from that when they came out to bat in a crucial second innings.

Glenn McGrath had Michael Vaughan and Ian Bell off successive balls to put the Poms at 67/3 but with Kevin Pietersen out in the middle, Australia couldn't afford to lag behind. McGrath almost nipped him out first ball with a snorter of a bouncer but the blue-haired golden boy survived.

Then the unthinkable happened.

Moment of the match

Brett Lee was steaming in now, rejuvenated by McGrath's show, and eked out an edge off Kevin Pietersen only to see Shane Warne grass a sitter at slip cordon. The Aussie spinner had barely done anything wrong the whole series but put down the catch the Aussies sorely needed to retain the Ashes.

Pietersen was in every sense of the word, a hero, for England

When it is Kevin Pietersen, he makes you pay. All England needed was a draw on this final day but Pietersen wasn't in the mood to slow down. He was a boulder rolled down a smooth mountain-side, unstoppable, rampaging, bullying and bulldozing the Aussies to submission.

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“You start hitting, you just go for everything, out of fear, out of adrenaline. I think that's what was happening with Kevin that day. He was unbelievable,” Flintoff later tells of watching Pietersen on that day as revealed by ESPNCricinfo.

His 158 ensured that Australia had little time to bat - four balls they got in all before bad light stopped play - and the Ashes was well and truly back in England.

England 373 (Strauss 129, Warne 6-122) & 335 (Pietersen 156, Warne 6-124); Australia 367 (Hayden 138, Langer 105, Flintoff 5-78, Hoggard 4-97) & 0-0

England Ashes Victory Parade

“In our heart of hearts believing

Victory crowns the just,

And that braggarts must

Surely bite the dust,

Press we to the field ungrieving,

In our heart of hearts believing

Victory crowns the just.”

-Thomas Hardy