The 2005 Ashes between England and Australia is considered one of the best-ever cricketing series. Even after so many years, the series is still remembered with great interest, and it has been a part of quite a few video games as well. The rivalry between both sides was at its peak.
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The 2nd Test of the series was played at the Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham, and it was the closest match of the series. It went on till the very last moment and the chances of both teams winning the game kept changing throughout the match. England won the match by 2 runs in the end, and Andrew Flintoff was the hero of the match.
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The English all-rounder single-handedly won the match for the hosts and his reputation grew leaps and bounds after that very series. Flintoff was instrumental throughout the Ashes 2005.
Andrew Flintoff once recalled how Ricky Ponting sledged him during Ashes 2005 Edgbaston Test
Andrew Flintoff had once appeared on Sky Sports Cricket Podcast where he talked about how the Australian captain Ricky Ponting sledged him during the 2nd innings of the Edgbaston Test. England managed to score 407 runs in the first innings, where Flintoff played a knock of 68 runs. Australia managed to score 308 runs, and England got a lead of 99 runs.
In the 2nd innings, the whole batting lineup of the English team collapsed, and they could just score 182 runs. Out of 182 runs. 73 runs were scored by the all-rounder himself. Flintoff revealed that Ponting was constantly murmuring when he was batting with Kevin Pietersen in the 2nd innings.
“I can never forget Ricky Ponting in the second innings sledging me,” Flintoff spoke on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
“I stood there with Kevin Pietersen, he looked and he made a joke to his team going. ‘Here we go boys, look at the two superstars! They’re going to be happy with these two, aren’t they’. And it’s like ‘Jog on, Rick! Jog on.”
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After proving his quality with the bat, Flintoff bowled one of the best spells of his career in the 2nd innings of Australia. He took 4 wickets in the innings, where he took the wickets of Ponting and Justin Langer in the very same over.
