Tuesday 27 August 2019 10:19, UK
The Headingley heroics of Ian Botham and Bob Willis have been ingrained in Ashes folklore since 1981 – but Ben Stokes arguably eclipsed them 38 years on.
The England all-rounder's unbeaten 135 propelled his side to a thrilling one-wicket victory few had thought possible after Australia set them a target of 359 at Leeds.
It looked unlikely that England, flattened for only 67 in their first innings, could mount a successful chase - and even more unlikely when last man Jack Leach joined Stokes at the crease with 73 still required.
But Leach defied the Australian bowlers while Stokes unleashed a one-man assault, hammering Pat Cummins through the covers for the boundary that sparked delirium among the Headingley crowd and kept England's Ashes hopes alive.
What, then, did we learn from one of the most memorable Ashes Tests in history? Here are some of the main talking points…
Stokes wins the Test with 'one-day' innings
England's lamentable efforts with the bat on day two, when they were rolled over for 67 - their lowest total against Australia since 1948 - prompted plenty of criticism over their selection policy.
Bob Willis, speaking on The Ashes Debate that evening, was among those to suggest that the choice of white-ball specialists for Test cricket was a contributing factor in England's downfall.
Batsmen so attuned to playing attacking, flamboyant shots at all times, the argument goes, struggle to adapt to the more disciplined approach needed to build an innings in the longer form of the game.
And yet Stokes proved it is possible, progressing slowly at the outset of his match-winning knock before unleashing a wide range of scoring strokes, including a reverse sweep for six off Nathan Lyon, to clinch an incredible victory.
Bowlers also played their part in England's victory
At the risk of making the whole Headingley fairytale all about Stokes, it shouldn't be forgotten that his tireless, consistent spell of bowling on the second evening was instrumental in pegging Australia back.
Stokes finished with 3-56, picking up the key wickets of Travis Head and Matthew Wade to help ensure the visitors did not fully hammer home their first-innings advantage and keep England in with what seemed no more than a glimmer of hope.
No less significant was Jofra Archer's burst of 6-45 in Australia's first innings, blowing away the middle and lower order to keep the tourists down to 179.
It's easy to forget this was only Archer's second Test appearance, but he is already so integral to England's pace attack that it is almost inconceivable to envisage them leaving him out.
Should you change a winning side?
During the second and third days of the Test, when England were apparently about to surrender their Ashes hopes with two matches to play, there were widespread calls for a sweeping cull of the batting line-up.
Jason Roy has floundered at the top of the order, while Joe Denly - whose second-innings half-century may have earned him a reprieve - and the out-of-sorts Jos Buttler are also seen as vulnerable to being replaced.
Just because England ultimately triumphed at Headingley and levelled the series, there could be a temptation to paper over the visible cracks in their batting and name an unchanged squad for the fourth Test.
Even at 1-1, this may be the right time to make changes and give opportunities to other batsmen who have performed well in county cricket - the likes of Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Sam Northeast and Dawid Malan.
Australia's pace attack may now be the world's best
Australia's defeat at Headingley must have left a harsh taste in the mouths of all their players, but perhaps none more so than their seamers.
Josh Hazlewood took nine wickets in the match, sweeping England away in the first innings, while the pace of Cummins and line and length of James Pattinson appears to have all bases covered.
Mitchell Starc was supposed to pose Australia's main threat at the start of the series, particularly after his stellar display in the World Cup - yet the left-armer hasn't had a look in.
The experienced Peter Siddle, meanwhile, has only featured in one Test so far - and it's a mark of Australia's strength in that department that they feel able to leave bowlers of that calibre on the sidelines.
Marnus makes his mark
Filling Steve Smith's shoes looked likely to be an onerous, thankless task… but not, it would appear, if your name is Marnus Labuschagne.
Originally drafted in as Test cricket's first concussion substitute after Smith had been struck by an Archer bouncer in the second Test at Lord's, Labuschagne has more than justified his place in the Australia side.
He stood firm on the first day at Headingley, top-scoring with 74 as wickets tumbled around him and then matched that achievement with a gritty 80 in the second innings.
It looks certain that Smith will return to the Australia line-up for the fourth Test at Old Trafford - and equally certain that the impressive Labuschagne will not be the man to make way.
The Participation Test
Stokes' participation in the Headingley Test is why this mind-boggling game will be remembered but the match itself was Sky Sports and the ECB's Participation Test as we focused on inclusion within the sport.
Check out our full Participation Test coverage here
That included girls' cricket, something which is championed by Lydia Greenway's Cricket for Girls scheme, and how people with disabilities are thriving on both the elite and grassroots stage.
We also looked at how the South Asian Action Plan is developing as cricket aims to get more players from that community involved in the sport, with an emphasis now on South Asian females.
Plus, we examined the legacy of England's dramatic World Cup win over New Zealand and whether that has had an effect on getting people through the doors at local clubs.
Stokes, of course, played a fundamental role in England's thrilling victory at Lord's. Young players wanted to be him then - and probably even more so now after his second incredible match-winning knock in six weeks.
Watch day one of the fourth Ashes Test between England and Australia, at Old Trafford, live on Sky Sports The Ashes (channel 404) and Main Event (channel 401) from 10am on Wednesday September 4.
You can also follow over-by-over commentary and in-play clips on our rolling blog on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app.
