Captain Pat Cummins, tailender Nathan Lyon lift Aussies to 'famous victory' in Edgbaston epic
Seventy-two runs stood between Pat Cummins and an improbable Australian victory when the skipper strode to the middle late on day five of the Edgbaston Test.
And the tourists lost Alex Carey shortly after, bringing Nathan Lyon — not the worst of tailenders but a tailender nonetheless — to the crease.
But over the 60-odd minutes that ensued, Cummins and Lyon would combine in remarkable fashion, putting together a partnership of 55 runs to lift the visitors to an instantly iconic win in the first Ashes Test.
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When Cummins glanced an Ollie Robinson delivery behind square on the off side and Harry Brook failed to mop up on the boundary, the inspirational captain completed a two-wicket win for his side.
The visitors chased down 280 runs to clinch a 1-0 lead in the series.
"Ice in his veins," England great Michael Atherton said in commentary when Cummins' boundary sealed the result.
"Pat Cummins has led his side to a famous victory here at Edgbaston.
"Seventy-two they needed when he came to the crease and he has got his team over the line."
Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins embrace in euphoric scenes as Australia completes a remarkable Ashes win. Stu Forster/Getty Images
Australian legend Ricky Ponting was amazed.
"What an end to a Test match, what a game of cricket," said the former captain.
As the Australian dressing room went berserk, an ecstatic Cummins raced over to Lyon at the opposite end of the wicket and lifted his batting partner off the ground.
They then hugged in a jubilant embrace, the Australians in the Birmingham crowd celebrating wildly.
The victory made for Australia's highest successful run chase against England since 1948.
Only the harshest of critics could find fault in Ben Stokes' final-day captaincy.
Despite sporting a knee brace and having had limited bowling preparation, he brought himself on to bowl and claimed the crucial wicket of the eventual man of the match, prolific opener Usman Khawaja.
He also took a gamble and came up trumps when the new ball became available, persisting with Joe Root and the old ball and reaping a sweet reward when the part-time off-spinner had Alex Carey caught and bowled.
However, Stokes also gave Lyon a life when the veteran tweaker was on just two.
Fielding at square leg, the superstar all-rounder made a spectacular effort as Lyon pulled a Stuart Broad delivery, leaping and flinging out his right arm as the ball flew above his head.
He got a hand to the ball but couldn't hold on.
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If he had, Australian No.11 Josh Hazlewood would have joined Cummins in the middle with the tourists still needing 37 runs to win.
When all was said and done, Cummins had made 44 runs and Lyon 16, and the Australians had avoided the nervy sight of Hazlewood walking out to bat in such a high-stakes situation.
Inclement Birmingham weather meant the first ball of day five wasn't bowled until 2.15pm local time.
When Khawaja and nightwatchman Scott Boland eventually walked out to resume the run chase, the Australians were 3-107 in their pursuit of 281 runs for victory.
A day after Broad yet again rose to a grand occasion by scalping Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith, the champion England quick continued to lead the hosts' charge as he removed Boland for 20, dispatching Australia's pesty nighwatchman when he drew his outside edge.
The English continued to land blows as Moeen Ali got Travis Head nicking, scalping the middle-order dynamo for 16, before Cameron Green fell for 28 when Robinson got him to chop on.
Khawaja also chopped on, departing for 65 as Stokes struck, before Carey belted the ball back at Root and was gone caught and bowled for 20.
An Australian victory appeared highly unlikely when Lyon joined Cummins with the visitors requiring 54 runs to win, but what followed was an astonishing tail-end resistance that capped an Edgbaston epic.
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