Forget 2005 comparisons, this was as dramatic as decade-old Durham

S moking Jesus. Take a moment to collect yourself. If you were watching that final day at Edgbaston, you deserve to let your nerves unspool. They must be clenched to raging little clusters of data. Do some deep breathing. Take your shoes off and walk on the lawn. Fists with your toes. Even if you’re not invested in either team, close Test cricket can make you sick, when awaiting each delivery feels like you’ve just chugged a large chocolate milk before jumping on Magic Mountain.

If you’ve paid any attention to coverage over the past five days, you might have heard one or two comparisons to the Edgbaston Ashes Test of 2005. Run totals of 407 on the first day, fourth‑innings targets for Australia of 282 and 281 respectively, falling short both times under clouded skies, simmering in the fetid steambath of noise generated by the Hollies Stand.

Until the dramatic work of Australia’s lower order, though, this was more reminiscent of Durham in 2013. That time Australia were set a chase of 299. Both involved David Warner giving Australia a flying start in the company of a left‑handed opening partner enjoying a late-career revival at around the age of 36: Usman Khawaja now, Chris Rogers then.

Khawaja was there in 2013, too, as was Steve Smith in the middle order and Nathan Lyon as the spinner. Both times Mitchell Starc was left out, and his pace was missed as England ran up a score in the third innings. Both involved a hulking blond all-rounder making useful runs at six, from Shane Watson to Cameron Green.

And both involved a Stuart Broad spell, one of his Ashes specials. Durham was the more dramatic: a streak of six for 20 across 45 balls after the door had been prised open with the removal of the top three. Edgbaston had