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The Ashes series of 2005 is considered one of the most momentous occasions in the history of modern cricket. The series saw incredible highs, impeccable lows, and moments of extreme brilliance as England reclaimed the urn with a 2-1 victory over a star-studded Australian side, often considered one of the undisputed best teams to grace the sport.
One of the key moments that defined an entire generation came in the Third Test at Old Trafford when leg-spinner Shane Warne became the first bowler to pick up 600 wickets in Test matches. The enigmatic Warne had England opener Marcus Trescothick caught behind to complete the milestone. Trescothick, batting on 63, attempted a sweep to a fuller delivery, which he got nowhere near. The ball hit his bat and glove before ricocheting onto wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist’s thigh, after which he held onto a simple catch as the ball ballooned up in the air. Warne reached his milestone in what was his 126th Test match for Australia.
Warne’s milestone came at the same ground where in 1993, he announced himself to the world with the ‘Ball of the Century’, having England’s Mike Gatting bowled around his legs with a ball that pitched well outside leg-stump, the first ball of Day 2 of that Test match.
Warne came to Old Trafford on the back of a stellar performance in the previous Test. Despite Australia’s nervy two-run loss at Edgbaston, Warne was the star of the show, picking up match figures of 10 for 162, which included a haul of 6 for 46 in the second innings, bowling the hosts out for 182. He had picked up 16 wickets in the series in the first two Tests, averaging 15.31.
The Third Test of the series ended in a draw despite Warne’s heroics. He finished with figures of 4 for 173, going wicketless in the second innings as the hosts declared on a score of 280 for 6, leaving the visitors with a score of 423 to chase. Captain Ricky Ponting scored a masterful 156, and the final pair of Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath survived to keep Australia at 371 for 9, stealing a draw from the jaws of defeat and not allowing the much-inspired hosts to take a lead in the series.
Despite Australia losing the series 2-1, Warne was one of the standout performers of the series. His 40 wickets were the most in the series, a country mile behind England’s series hero Andrew Flintoff in second with 24. He picked up 20 wickets in just the final two Test matches – eight in Australia’s loss at Trent Bridge and a whopping 12 at the Oval, in a drawn Test. His wickets came at a miserly average of 19.92, exhibiting his value as a key strike bowler for Australia. The enigmatic leg-spinner stands tall as the second-highest wicket-taker in this format, with 709 scalps, a record which is expected to survive for much longer among the flowing sands of time.
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