Australia finally get Edgbaston revenge for 2005 heartache as Bazball backfires

It might have been almost two decades in the making – but Australia finally got their Ashes revenge on England at Edgbaston.

For the men from Down Under it was more than worth the wait. But for the victims it felt like a crushing blow – as Ben Stokes and his men saw the Aussies hold their nerve to this time come out on the right side of another cricketing blockbuster in Birmingham.

On this ground back in 2005 the Aussies attempted to chase down a winning total of 282 – but fell two runs short. Fast forward 18 years and here we were witnessing an equally colossal contest – with a very different result.

And where the heck do we start?

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This was a gripping tale of two captains on a thumping finale to a wonderful opening Test. Ben Stokes appeared to have given his side the impetus to go on and win it when he bowled Aussie rock Usman Khawaja in just his second over of the innings.

It left the Aussies on 209-7 and still needing 72 to win. Then part-time spinner Joe Root dismissed Alex Carey soon after, leaving England needing just two more wickets o win themselves.

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But Aussie skipper Pat Cummins had other ideas – and marched to the crease to smash a swashbuckling 44 to secure redemption for the visitors on an epic scale. While Cummins raised his bat to the heavens, England looked to be heading to hell ahead of what promises to be a huge inquest into how this match slipped through their fingers.

England's early declaration on day one, those missed chances behind the stumps and the wicket of Khawaja off a no-ball in the first innings will come into sharp focus. But forget all that or who won and lost – because this was Test cricket of pure brilliance.

Magical sporting theatre that will never be forgotten by all those fortunate enough to witness it. At one stage a tie was even possible for only the third time in more than 2,500 Tests.

In the end the Aussies had Khawaja as well as Cummins to thank for seeing them over the line with two wickets to spare. For all that talk of Bazball and England being in control for long spells, it was some good old fashioned batting from Khawaja which provided the foundations for this triumph.

Khawaja produced a stunning century in the first innings, then helped himself to 65 more in the second. He batted on every day of this astonishing clash – and had faced a staggering 508 deliveries before Stokes eventually got him out.

While wickets tumbled around him thanks to some brilliant bowling from Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson, Khawaja was the glue that held his side together. Not since 1948 have Australia chased this many runs (281) to win an Ashes Test.

But the outcome could have been so different had Stokes held onto what would have been a sublime catch to dismiss Nathan Lyon, as the sun went down on this unforgettable crescendo. Had England won the Aussies could have had no complaints. It was that kind of game.

The hosts were in Aussie faces from the gun, but Test match cricket is a marathon not a sprint – and look what happened in the race between the tortoise and the hare? Who knows if that spill from Stokes also saw him drop the Ashes.

It's too soon to say, because the good news is we've still got almost six more weeks of this unbearable sporting drama in which to find out.

Cricket eh? Bloody hell.

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