#3) England vs Australia, Edgbaston, 2005
Result: England beat Australia by two runs
Prior to this campaign, England had been struggling to win an Ashes series, with their last victory dating back to 1986-87. In a five-match contest, England found themselves facing the prospect of going 2-0 down against Australia.
At a crucial juncture in the match, Australia’s hopes seemed to be slipping away as they slumped to 137-7 while chasing a target of 282. However, their resilient tailenders staged a remarkable fightback, dragging Australia back into contention. As the tension mounted and England faced the prospect of despair, fast bowler Steve Harmison delivered a crucial breakthrough, dismissing the No. 11 batsman, Michael Kasprowicz, caught behind by wicketkeeper Geraint Jones.
The dismissal was later revealed to be a contentious one as the ball had brushed Kasprowicz’s glove with his hand off the bat, adding to the drama. However, despite the controversy, there were few complaints about the tough call made in real-time by umpire Billy Bowden, given the unavailability of reviews at that time.
England managed to clinch a thrilling victory, regaining the Ashes 2-1. The Edgbaston encounter was hailed by many pundits as the greatest match of the legendary Test series.
