ENG VS AUS - 3rd Test, The Ashes 2019

Breathe. Please breathe. So 2005 debates around the non-presence of DRS. 2019 will debate around the wastage of DRS. And Joel Wilson. Oh yea, and also Ben Stokes. 1981, Sir Ian Botham, you've officially been replaced. It isn't often in life when a Sunday lives up to its reputation, and when it does, your life will find meaning. While we await our ventilators, I, Vineet Anantharaman, sign off on behalf of the other partners in crime, Sagar Chawla and Rishi Roy. Also our scorer, Harish. And until the end of our lives in the search of a bigger high, ta ta!!

Surprise, surprise, Ben Stokes is the Man of the Match. Really, him? Why?

Harsha Bhogle: Headingley. Botham. Stokes. Sits comfortably. One of the great innings you will ever see. England won it as much as Australia lost it. There is no greater sport than test cricket. May it long survive.

It was lost when England crumbled out for 67. It was lost when they had to chase down a 359-run never-done-before mountain. It was lost when Roy and Rory did nothing to strengthen the chase. It was lost when Root fell early this morning. It was lost when Stokes sold Buttler down the river. It was lost when Archer thought it to be wise to slog them around for fun. It was lost when Broad couldn't keep out a yorker. It was lost when Leach brain-exploded a single-that-wasn't. It was lost when Stokes swept himself plumb. Alas, it wasn't. It was won.

Highest successful chases for England:
359 vs Aus Leeds 2019
332 vs Aus MCG 1928/29
315 vs Aus Leeds 2001
305 vs NZ Christchurch 1996/97

Highest 10th wicket partnership in successful 4th innings chases:
78* Kusal Perera - Vishwa Fernando v SA Durban 2019
76* Ben Stokes - Jack Leach v Aus Leeds 2019
57* Inzamam - Mushtaq Ahmed v Aus Karachi 1994

One wicket wins for England in Tests:
vs Aus Oval 1902
vs Aus MCG 1907/08
vs SA Cape Town 1922/23
vs Aus Leeds 2019*

16:21 Local Time, 15:21 GMT, 20:51 IST: She's alive. That urn's not going anywhere as yet. Stokes' not going to let it. He's not just broken the door open, he's smashed the room down, blown down the building. And what remains are crushed Australian souls. It was theirs, it really was theirs, it was always theirs. No. Ten Englishmen agreed, one refused, stood around, survived dropped catches, survived misfields, survived run-outs, survived umpiring errors, but survived to script the greatest moment of his life. The Aussies have been dealt with a harsh joke, tearing up the urn's boarding pass.

Jurj: "Ben Stokes is playing the innings of is life." - Move over World Cup final. Test match cricket returns. Roaring. One of the greatest Test innings of all time.

Pat Cummins to Stokes, FOUR, there. There. THERE. Ben Stokes. Sir Ben Stokes. King Ben Stokes. Lord Ben Stokes. It's the turnaround of Headingley, the miracle of Leeds, and it's all down to one man. One Superman. The true uniform-less beast. He stands up tall, has the width dished out to him, and thumps it away through the covers. He roars, the lion! Somebody, please arrange for a new heart ..

Pat Cummins to Jack Leach, 1 run, and it's a tie. At least. Leach seals himself into future English textbooks, with perhaps the most important single he'd ever take - jabbing it into square leg

Pat Cummins to Jack Leach, no run, 85mph, short again, proper 1900s bodyline kind. Leach will swish it away, somehow keeping it down to leg gully

Pat Cummins to Jack Leach, no run, bangs it in short, high over Leach's head

Lyon to Stokes, no run, massive LBW shout -- and then the DRS shows three reds. But why isn't it out? Good question. The umpiring is, well .. rubbish .. and then Australia's reviewing is, well .. more rubbish. All off a Stokes sweep, which he misses, and takes it on his thighs plumb in front of middle

Lyon to Stokes, no run, and the Aussies choke. It's reverse-swept to point, Stokes doesn't react, but Leach is charging halfway down the pitch, and the then when he's sent back, Lyon fumbles the return throw. This was dead, the nail was right there

Lyon to Stokes, no run, pushed through quicker - slapped straight to point. They had the time to sneak in the single, gain the tie, but no, Stokes doesn't want a tie, he wants the urn

Lyon to Stokes, SIX, there - it's down to Edgbaston 2005. Stokes nails this hoick, and when even the tallest man in cricket can't leap up right, nobody can. Somebody. Please. Call. The. Doctor.

Lyon to Stokes, no run, pushed through quicker, sneaks under the cut this time

Lyon to Stokes, no run, serious cut off the back foot, picks sweeper, where Wade deliberately(?) fumbles, tempting the mad-running

Pat Cummins to Jack Leach, no run, leg-lined yorker. Leach can't lay bat, but it's pitching clearly down leg as he gets pinned on the front leg. There's barely an appeal, but when desperation hits, why not kill time in reviewing. So the Aussies do, and it's clearly pitching a foot down

Pat Cummins to Jack Leach, no run, survies. An awkward jump up, somehow not fending the bouncer away to anybody, somebody

Clean your spectacles ..