5 Best Test Knocks of the Last Decade

2.)Ricky Ponting 156 v/s England, Old Trafford, Ashes 2005

Wasn’t this like the best ever Ashes series. This series had everything, The nail-biting match saving finishes, the excruciatingly close fight by tail-enders who got out in the last over. Great innings by debutant Peterson when he took it to Shane Warne at Lord’s, Glenn McGrath at his absolute best at Lord’s, the uprising of Freddie Flintoff brand and what not. It had everything.

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Australia won the firs test match and showed again that they were the predominant team which everyone had expected to be. But it all changed in the second test at Birmingham where Australia almost won the match only for Harmison to bowl that bouncer and take the wicket. Everyone had come that morning expecting England to bowl the tail-enders out, but Brett Lee along with Warne and Kasprowicz took Australia to just 2 runs from leading the series 2-0.

Third test, Old trafford, Manchester England. Australia were given a target of 423 to chase. Aussies started the 5th day badly losing openers in quick succession. In came ponting, he was given a lifeline early on when England missed a run out. Momentum swung towards Aussies, and ponting playing and handling the situation with Panache, took it to the English. At one point, it was feeling as if ponting would lead Aussies to victory. Ponting kept losing his partners and but he fought till the end. He eventually got out after scoring 156 facing 274 deliveries and batting for more than 7 hours. Aussies saved the test match, and this innings came to know as the one where Rickey Ponting showed his masterclass.