Edgbaston 2005 replay with cards, reaction

Almost immediately, minds go back to Edgbaston 2005 on Tuesday morning, when England chased down Australia by 281 runs to win the first Ashes Test in an absolute thriller.

That year, the target was 282, ending with one of the best Test totals of all time, with Australia conceding just two runs for no significant gain.

Now history could be repeating itself with Australia at 3-107, needing 174 runs on day five to go 1-0 up in this year’s Ashes, a series that is already producing strikes.

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Former Australian opener and coach Justin Langer, who was involved in the 2005 Edgbaston thriller, said. The Telegraph after the game: This series rivals the great Ashes of 2005.

Regardless of the outcome, it was obviously the best series I’ve ever played in. The series had it all and like these last four days, the scene is set to repeat an exceptional Ashes.

There will be some sleepless nights. How good is Test cricket. Full stop.

Australia’s opposition skipper in 2005, Michael Vaughan, offered similar sentiments after the game, tweeting: Ashes Cricket … it doesn’t get any better.

Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook was also mesmerized and continued Test Match Special: What days Test Cricket. You couldn’t take your eyes off it.

Needless to say, if this is indeed a repeat of Edgbaston 2005, the race will go straight to the wire.

A result for both sides is certain, unless the rain has a say, and Australia could avenge the defeat 18 years ago.

However, Australia have not scored more than 280 in the fourth innings to win a Test match since November 2011.

For Cook, it’s simply too close to call.

It’s balanced. I can’t call it but I’d probably rather be in England’s position with runs on the board, he said.

Australian legend Ricky Ponting, the captain that day in 2005, also couldn’t pick a winner.

“Throughout this game it’s been back and forth between both sides,” he said on Sky Sports. England were very dominant on day one, Australia found a way to get back into it and Khawaja was outstanding.

At the start of this fourth over, 50-0, everything looks good, then feed Stuart Broad with a couple of big wickets that his team needed. His team needed that spell and the series needed that spell because it looked like it was slipping away.

You can’t predict anything. It lasts for one inning.