How it unfolded
Glenn McGrath stepped on a stray ball during the pre-match warm-up and sprained his ankle, ruling him out; Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bowl. England blazed to 407 in just 79.2 overs on the first day, with Marcus Trescothick scoring 90, and Australia replied with 308. England's second innings, held to 182 by Shane Warne's 6 for 46 despite Andrew Flintoff's 73, left Australia 282 to win. Flintoff struck immediately, bowling Justin Langer and dismissing Ponting in Australia's first over of the chase, turning the match again. Australia slid to 175 for 8 and looked finished, but Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz added 59 for the last wicket to bring the match to the brink. With three runs needed, a short ball from Steve Harmison brushed Kasprowicz's glove, and wicketkeeper Geraint Jones dived to take the catch, sealing the smallest margin of victory in Ashes history. The photo of Flintoff crouching to console a kneeling Lee became the defining image of the series.
Why it still matters
The match that launched England's 2-1 series win and its recapture of the Ashes after 18 years. The 2005 series revived television ratings and public interest in Test cricket in Britain and is often ranked as the greatest series ever played. It stands as proof that, even as three-hour T20 cricket was just emerging, the five-day game could still produce the best drama in sport.