The atmosphere, the events and the result – for half of the supporters at least – were bang on as far as a match is concerned.
“The atmosphere at the end when we came out after lunch with Land of Hope and Glory absolutely reverberating around the ground was just incredible,” he told Sky Sports. “And then for Jimmy to go and do it with a 10-for in the match is incredible. On that wicket to get 10 wickets as a seam bowler is phenomenal.
“It certainly did feel different from any other Test match. Ever since ball one on day one, everything building up to this game, the hype, the spectacle, Jerusalem being played, you know you are in a bigger game than normal and it just got bigger and bigger.”
“The more things that happened – whether they be controversial, magnificent – it just adds to the whole Ashes fever and it is great to be a part of.”
The bloke who took a quality catch in the deep to stop Ashton Agar two runs short of a century on debut, and then ran half the length of the field to congratulate the teenager on his innings, didn’t see Haddin nick the last ball of the match but backed his teammates.
“I was not counting my chickens because of what had happened with the DRS in the game because I could not see the little nick on the big screen, everyone else could apparently but I couldn’t,” he said.
“Matty Prior knew. He said straight away, ‘he’s hit it and it’s going to be out’. And even after we had it reviewed we were looking at Brad Haddin – he had that glint in his eye. I think he knew he had hit it but the Aussies don’t walk.
“Brad Haddin played incredibly well today in shepherding the tail and so he probably deserved a bit better than to get out himself at the end but what a game.”
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