The second Test of the 2006 Ashes series, held at the Adelaide Oval, came with significant pressure on both teams. Australia had convincingly won the first Test in Brisbane by 277 runs, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
This victory put England, the defending Ashes holders, on the back foot. Coming into Adelaide, England was eager to level the series and shake off the disappointment of Brisbane, where their batting crumbled under the weight of the Australian attack.
Australia, on the other hand, was keen to extend their lead and capitalize on their home advantage, knowing that a 2-0 lead would make it very difficult for England to stage a comeback in the series.
Since the previous Ashes series, won by England 2-1, Australia had played 13 games (including the one in Brisbane), for 12 wins and one draw. Coming into Adelaide, they had won their 8 tests straight.
On the other hand, England had played 14 games, for 5 wins, 5 losses and 4 draws. Before their large loss in Brisbane, though, they had managed to beat Pakistan 3-0 in England.
Key Players to Watch
Ricky Ponting, Australia’s captain, was in sublime form, having scored a century in the first Test, as well as 7 centuries in just his last 15 innings. His leadership and batting were crucial to Australia’s success.
Andrew Flintoff Jonathan Nalder, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
On the English side, Andrew Flintoff, leading the team in place of Michael Vaughan, carried the weight of expectation, both as an all-rounder and as captain. England’s batting hopes also rested on the shoulders of Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood, both of whom had shown promise with the bat and were expected to play key roles in anchoring England’s innings.
The quality of players on both sides was extraordinary. While some might have been in the early parts of their careers, and others were nearing the end of very long careers, the following players who played this test would eventually have careers spanning more than 50 tests: On the Australian side, Rick Ponting (168), Shane Warne (145), Glenn McGrath (124), Michael Clarke (115), Justin Langer (105), Matthew Hayden (103), Adam Gilchrist (96), Michael Hussey (79), Brett Lee (76) and Damien Martyn (67th, and Adelaide would be his last). The only man not to reach 50 tests by retirement was Stuart Clark, who played 24.
For England, James Anderson (188), Alastair Cook (161), Ian Bell (118), Kevin Pietersen (104), Andrew Strauss (100), Andrew Flintoff (79), Paul Collingwood (68), Matthew Hoggard (67), Steve Harmison (63) and Ashley Giles (54). The only man not to reach 50 tests by retirement on the English side was wicketkeeper Geraint Jones, with 34.
England’s First Innings
England’s first innings showed just how tough it can be to bowl on the Adelaide pitch, at times, and how important it is to really cash in and turn those fifties into big centuries when given a road to bat on.
Paul Collingwood johnniemojo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Paul Collingwood’s marathon innings of 206 runs off 392 balls (just beyond 8 and a half hours of batting) was a masterclass in patience and determination. Coming in at a time when England needed to establish control after losing their first 2 wickets for 45, Collingwood anchored the innings with a blend of solid defence and calculated aggression.
His ability to occupy the crease for such a long duration set the foundation for England’s massive first-innings total of 6/551 declared.
Complementing Collingwood’s steady approach was Kevin Pietersen, who scored a flamboyant 158 off 257 balls. Pietersen’s knock was characterized by his aggressive stroke play, which put the Australian bowlers under constant pressure.
While Collingwood focused on building a solid base, Pietersen took the attack to the Australians, playing with confidence. His battle with Shane Warne defined the innings.
With Collingwood, the duo added 310 runs for the fourth wicket in 84 overs, effectively putting England in a position where they shouldn’t lose.
The Australian bowlers struggled to contain England’s batsmen on a pitch that offered little assistance. Stuart Clark was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3/75. His disciplined bowling and ability to maintain a consistent line and length were commendable, but the lack of support from the other bowlers meant that England’s batsmen were able to dominate.
Shane Warne’s figures of 1/167 were the most runs he ever conceded in his career, and showed just how difficult the pitch was to bowl on.
Australia’s First Innings
Australia’s innings did not start well. Justin Langer was out for 4, Matthew Hayen for 12 and Damien Martyn for 11. With the score 3/65, Michael Hussey joined Ricky Ponting in the middle.
Ricky Ponting’s innings of 142 runs off 245 balls was a masterclass in captaincy and resilience, guiding Australia’s fightback. His century came off 183 balls, and, surprisingly, consisted of only 8 fours.
It came as a major surprise when he was finally out, but it required a terrific ball from Matthew Hoggard to hit his edge, and he was out for 142 off 245 balls.
At 4/257, and with England still 294 ahead, Australia still had a lot of work to do. They needed Michael Clarke to stay in with Michael Hussey for an extended period.
Matthew Hoggard Blnguyen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
However, Hoggard was bowling well, and Michael Hussey bottom edged a ball into his stumps 9 short of his century. His 91 off 212 balls, showed poise and grit, but to fall so close to what would have been his fifth test century would have hurt.
But Hussey’s dismissal brought in Adam Gilchrist. In just under two hours, Gilchrist scored 64 runs from 79 balls in a partnership of 98, which Michael Clarke continued to more sedately accumulate runs at the other end.
At 6/384, and with Lunch on Day 4 approaching, it looked like the only chance of a result is if Australia lost wickets quickly, England batted for quick runs and then sent Australia back on a 5th day pitch that, hopefully, found some demons.
That wasn’t to be the case, because now Shane Warne decided to stick around. Clarke brought up his century off 183 balls, and Shane Warne scored 43 off 108 balls, for a partnership of 118 off nearly 40 overs.
The game seemed to be meandering towards a draw.
Australia’s last 3 wickets put on only 11 runs, but took 12 overs to do so. Michael Clarke was out for 124 off 224 balls, Matthew Hoggard’s 6th wicket. Hoggard also dismissed Stuart Clark, and finished with 7/109. This was a remarkable effort, as only one other bowler in the entire match had taken more than 1 wicket (Stuart Clark with 3).
Hoggard’s ability to swing the ball both ways made him a constant threat to the Australian batsmen, and his persistence paid off as he consistently broke through the defences of Australia’s top order. His efforts were instrumental in keeping Australia from surpassing England’s total, as he exploited the slight movement available in the air and off the pitch.
England’s Second Innings
England’s second innings in the Adelaide Test will be remembered as one of the most dramatic collapses in Ashes history.
Coming in at the beginning of day 5, England were in no trouble whatsoever, having scored 1/59 the night before off 19 fairly innocuous overs.
What happened next was the stuff of legends. There were even DVDs created to commemorate what happened, as the test would become known as ‘Amazing Adelaide’.
England’s batters came out in a defensive mindset, but that seemed to play into the hands of an Australian team playing with patience. Ten runs were scored in the first ten overs of the day before Andrew Strauss was dismissed by Warne. Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff were dismissed in the next 9 overs, but only 8 runs were added. Geraint Jones was dismissed by Brett Lee, as the fast bowler managed to tease out some reverse swing.
Ashley Giles didn’t last long against Warne, Hoggard tried to defend, but he too was out to Warne for 4 from 24 balls, while Steve Harmison (8 from 21 balls) and James Anderson (1 from 28) were both dismissed by Glenn McGrath, LBW.
At the other end, watching all of this, but powerless to stop it or attack his way out of it, was Paul Collingwood. His 22 runs off 119 balls was symptomatic of the extreme pressure that England placed themselves under.
This collapse was a car crash, but in very slow motion. England batted 54 overs on that final day, but only scored 70 runs. This meant that although a lot of time was taken out of the match, England had batted so slowly that there was still enough time for Australia to score the 168 runs needed.
Shane Warne, 2015 Tourism Victoria from Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At the heart of England’s collapse was the wizardry of Shane Warne. The legendary leg-spinner showed his determination and class. To turn around one of his worst bowling figures in the first innings, and produce bowling spells that bamboozled the English batters and played on their minds and fears as much as their batting abilities.
He once again proved why he was one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game, taking 4/49. Warne’s spell was a masterclass in spin bowling, as he exploited the rough patches on the pitch to extract sharp turn and bounce. His ability to outfox the English batsmen with subtle variations in flight and spin was pivotal in dismantling England’s batting order. Warne’s impact on the game was immediate and decisive, turning the match on its head and giving Australia a real chance to push for victory.
Australia’s Second Innings
Australia’s chase was 168 runs off approximately 36 overs. This equalled a run rate of 4.67, not a difficult run rate in a one dayer, but in a test match, where a captain can spread the field and protect the boundaries, and bowlers have more lenience with the width of their bowling, the chase was not a foregone conclusion.
Australia got off to a quick start, scoring 33 off the first 34 balls, but lost both openers doing so. Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey added some composure to the proceedings, still scoring fast, but doing so with very few risks. Australia raced to 116 of just 21.4 overs before Ponting was out for 49 off 65 balls.
Damien Martyn came and went, dismissed by a strange shot off Flintoff. This would prove to be his final act on the cricket field, as he retired following the test.
Michael Hussey, 2009 self, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Michael Clarke then joined Hussey, and together, they reached the target with 3 overs still remaining. Michael Hussey’s unbeaten 61 off 66 balls was the epitome of composure under pressure, guiding Australia to the remarkable victory. Known for his calm demeanour and ability to anchor an innings, Hussey once again proved his worth in a crucial situation. Following this test, his lucky 13th, his average passed 81.00.
While he couldn’t keep that average going for the rest of his career, Hussey would end up playing 79 tests, score 6235 runs at an average of 51.52, with 19 centuries. Mr. Cricket, as he became known, showed in this test just why that nickname came to be.
Legacy
Australia’s chase, culminating at 168/4, sealed a remarkable victory that left England reeling and effectively put Australia in the driver’s seat for the remainder of the series. The win not only demonstrated Australia’s resilience and fighting spirit but also highlighted the team’s ability to perform under pressure.
With a 2-0 lead in the series, Australia had effectively broken England’s morale, making a series comeback for the visitors increasingly unlikely. This victory set the tone for the rest of the series, reinforcing Australia’s dominance and pushing them closer to regaining the Ashes.
Australia would end up winning the 5 test series 5-0, and would continue winning until reaching a record-equalling 16 successive test victories.
The series would also see the end of three more legendary Australian careers, with Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer departing after the fifth test. Some might say the departure of so much talent began to hurt Australia’s performances, although it would take a few years before that became evident.