Snapshot of the final day of the Ashes first Test
SCORE: Australia (386 and 8-282) have beaten England (8-393 declared and 273) by two wickets.
SUMMARY: Australia have earned an epic triumph after a pulsating finale to one of the great Ashes Test matches, with captain Pat Cummins their ultimate matchwinner. After three hours of hanging around in the rain and under heavy skies, this epic finally got under way with Australia needing 174 with seven wickets left - and it turned from a slow burner into a classic to rival the 2005 epic at Edgbaston that England had nabbed by two wickets. England chipped away, Stuart Broad getting rid of stubborn nightwatchman Scott Boland for a Test-best 20, Moeen Ali, sore finger and all, having Travis Head snaffled at slip and Ollie Robinson bowling Cameron Green. When captain Ben Stokes then finally induced an inside edge on to the stumps to end Usman Khawaja's stoic vigil and Joe Root, after two difficult drops, took a brilliant caught and bowled to end the counter-attack of Alex Carey, England looked overwhelming favourites with eight down and 54 needed. Cue Cummins, who smashed 14 off a Root over after Stokes delayed taking the new ball, and gritty Nathan Lyon, who survived what would have been an amazing one-handed catch from Stokes, as they defied the odds to guide Australia home with a partnership of 55 with just 4.3 overs left, and all four results still possible. Perhaps it's set up another series for the ages.
PLAYER OF THE MOMENT: There were 72 still needed and only three wickets left when Cummins came to the wicket, only for the skipper to remind everyone he really can bat a bit as he delivered the very definition of a captain's innings, 44 not out off 73 balls, to pull off his fifth victory against England. Criticised for defensive tactics earlier in the match, he had the last laugh with this knock following some fine second-innings bowling.
KEY MOMENT: Stokes looked for one second as if he had pulled off one of the all-time great one-handed catches to get rid of Lyon, who had miscued his hoik to leg of Stuart Broad but, for once, the leaping, back-pedalling heroics of England's Ashes Superman ended in a spilled opportunity. He looked as if he knew how costly it might be.
STAT OF THE DAY: Usman Khawaja batted for 518 balls in this Test match, a record for any Australian this century, beating the 517 that Ricky Ponting faced against India at the MCG in 2003. 'UzBall' was epic in its own way - but it wasn't quite enough to tame Bazball.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It's number one win of my career for me, absolutely ... Both team spoke about their styles and that's the beauty of this series. We'll both play to our strengths. Don't know which style is better but it makes for good entertainment." - Cummins.
