A tantalising Ashes series came to an end with England denying Australia their first series victory on their soil in 22 years. A 2-2 draw could very well have been 3-2 in England's favour had the fourth Test not been rain-affected with every possibility of a win for the hosts.
If we delve even further, this was a series that England should have won perhaps 4-1 if one takes the first Test and the fourth Test into account, both Tests where they were in strong positions to win but lost and drew for different reasons.
Australia gained a huge psychological advantage when they drew first blood in the opening Ashes Test at Birmingham. In a Test match that went all the way down to the wire, it was the match-turning ninth-wicket partnership of 55 between Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon that won the game for the visitors.
The crucial Cummins-Lyon stand
The English bowlers just struggled to break the Cummins-Lyon partnership and that turned out to be the difference between winning and losing. Maybe, the hosts lacked the killer instinct in that most critical of situations where they had to deliver the knock out punch.
In hindsight, if England had won the first Test, it would have changed the entire complexion of the series.
The second Test was fairly convincingly won by Australia and there are no two ways about it. It was a thorough all-round performance by the visitors excelling with bat and ball to win by 43 runs. Any team that puts on 400 plus batting first in the first innings of a Test match has the initial advantage and that's exactly what Australia did.
Putting up 416 gave them the impetus and thereafter getting a 91-run first innings lead after bowling out England for 325 to set the match up for them.
Mark Wood turns England's fortunes around
In the third Test, England got their act together and an impressive bowling performance helped them win the Test. Mark Wood's fifer in Australia's first innings helped bowl out the tourists for 263 and that ensured they got the advantage to take the game forward and win it eventually.
Bazball takes effect from 4th Test
Come the fourth Test at Manchester, it was 'Bazball' in full flow as Zak Crawley's monumental 189 off 182 balls showed. Half-centuries from Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes set England up for a huge score and then Jonny Bairstow's 99 got them to 592.
With a 275-run first innings lead, this was England's test for the taking through and through. And with Australia struggling at 214/5 in their second innings, even an innings defeat could not have been ruled out.
Rain denies England in Manchester
Then again, there is something called nature's fury in the form of rain and thundershowers.
And the only thing that can come in the way of Bazball is the weather and so it was. No further play was possible as the entire fifth day's play was washed out due to incessant rain.
This is where the outcome of the series changed in hindsight between England winning and a 2-2 drawn series.
Australia would not be feeling too bad given they were able to retain the Ashes being the winners of the last series.
Ashes 2023 Controversies
The Jonny Bairstow stumping by Australian wicket-keeper Alex Carey in the second Test at the Lord's was the biggest controversy of the series and left a fair bit of bad blood between players of both sides.
England head coach Brendon McCullum even said that they don't intend to share a drink with the Aussies in the near future.
"I can’t imagine we’ll be having a beer with them any time soon,” McCullum said.
Ball change works in England's favour, Aussies raise eyebrows
On the fifth day of the final Test at the Oval, the use of the replacement ball in the 37th over of Australia's chase came under scrutiny as well. Australian batsmen revealed that the new ball was way too hard and shinier than the ball replaced.
Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting felt a like-for-like replacement ball should have been used instead of one that is way different from the one being replaced.
So, it's been an epic series in every which way one looks at it. Be it play on the field, controversies on ground or replacement balls. Where there is Ashes, England and Australia, there is drama, intrigue and excitement always on offer.
