London, Aug. 24: England captain Andrew Strauss admitted the "amazing day" his side enjoyed in winning the Ashes here on Sunday had looked a long way off just as recently as a few weeks ago.
Victory by 197 runs here at The Oval saw England win the fifth and final Test with more than a day to spare and so regain the Ashes 2-1.
But such a result looked a long way off earlier this month when Australia, who came into this series as Ashes holders, drew level with a crushing innings and 80-run fourth Test win at Headingley.
"This is pretty special," said Strauss, a member of the England side that won the 2005 Ashes. "There were so many emotions we went through today — hope, frustration, worry and despair, at time.
"To come through and finish it off, until you get over the line you don’t realise how hard it is.
"It’s an amazing day, it seemed a long away off after Headingley to be honest. The guys had to dig very deep."
Australia dominated the series statistically — for example their batsmen scored eight hundreds to England’s two. But Strauss’s men were able to raise their game when they most needed in a series where for three Tests they were without Kevin Pietersen. "When we were bad, we were very bad, when we were good, we managed to be good enough," Strauss, England’s best batsman this series, said.
"In a five-Test series, there are ebbs and flows."
That was certainly the case at The Oval where all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who had a largely quiet match in his final Test before injury-induced retirement, made a telling blow with Australia, chasing a mammoth 546 to win, well-placed at 217/2.
But with Australia captain Ricky Ponting looking in supreme form, Flintoff ran out the star batsman with a direct hit from mid-on. "We needed that moment of inspiration," said Strauss. "You can’t keep Fred out of the game."
Flintoff himself said: "All the injuries and operations, it’s for moments like this," he said. "What a way to go."
For Strauss, who jokingly said there would be "muted celebrations", this series was a personal triumph. — AFP
