SK Flashback: The greatest Ashes and the greatest Cricket Video Games- Part 1

3rd Test (Old Trafford):

#5. Avoiding the follow-on:

Old Trafford saw a different facet of Warne's cricketing skills

England has racked up 444 in the first innings. In reply, Australia is at 186-6. An injured Michael Clarke walks in as they are in danger of following on. The task is to avoid that and score 90 runs with Shane Warne, who looks like he is carrying on his handy form with the bat from the previous match. Also, you should not run any batsman out. Avoiding follow-on is a fairly simple task as even when injured, Michael Clarke can bat as well as he always does once he survives a few deliveries!

What actually happened: Michael Clarke couldn't do anything. It was a calculated innings of 90 from Shane Warne and some defiant defending by Jason Gillespie (for which he is notorious for) that helped Australia save the blushes as they reached 302, still conceding a sizable lead.

#6. Ponting on the prowl:

A knock to remember

Riding on Andrew Strauss' century and some lusty blows from Geraint Jones down the order, England set an uphill target of 423 for the Aussies. With a little over a day remaining, England would have been hopeful of a victory. Australia is now 135-3, and Ricky Ponting looks well set on 48. Whether it is saving the match or going for a win, a captain's knock from him would be instrumental in it. The task is to score 150 runs with Ponting. This is also an easy task, given Ponting is among the top 5 best batsmen in the game.

What actually happened: The Punter was on a roll that day, dispatching every bowler with utter disdain. In fact, if he had an aorta of support from any of his teammates, Australia may have pulled off the chase. Once he ran out of recognized batting partners, Ponting calmly switched down the gears, absorbing the pressure. He was the penultimate one to fall, nicking one off Steve Harmison at 156. England sniffed victory whereas, for Australia, it was almost a deja vu of the previous Test. They were almost at the receiving end of another heartbreak, but the nervous duo of Glen McGrath and Brett Lee held on to their nerves for the remaining 24 balls, ensuring the captain's knock did not go in vain.