August 17, 1926. After a storm had raged across South London, turning The Oval pitch into a pudding, Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe scripted one of the most remarkable opening partnerships in the history of the game. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the Ashes win for England with Wilfred Rhodes and Harold Larwood, two inspired selections at the twilight and dawn of their respective careers, firing the Australians out on the fourth day.

7 August 2005. England win by 2 runs at Edgbaston.

30 June 1953. Bailey and Watson save England

February 15, 1921. Arthur Mailey captured 9 English wickets at Melbourne Cricket Ground and could have taken all ten if Patsy Hendren had not been dropped off his bowling. Arunabha Sengupta recalls the inimitable wrist-spinner who bowled like a millionaire.

On January 14, 1933, Australian captain Bill Woodfull staggered after being hit over the heart by a ball from Harold Larwood. Two days later, wicketkeeper Bert Oldfield edged a pull off the same bowler to his temple. Arunabha Sengupta recalls the day Bodyline bowling brought the situation on the brink of a riot.

January 14, 1912. In between their superlative performance to overcome the Australians at Adelaide, the England players fought a bushfire to save the residence of the Governor-General of South Australia. Arunabha Sengupta revisits the brilliance of Jack Hobbs, Frank Foster and Sydney Barnes on the field and the bravery of the English cricketers off it.

January 14, 1908. Australia were on the verge of meek surrender when Clem Hill got off the sick bed, walked into the arena and played one of the most remarkable innings of all time. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the Adelaide Test of 1907-08 Ashes, the third thriller on the trot in a series that has been criminally forgotten.

January 7, 1908. A second thriller in the space of a few days, and a second classic Test we have all but forgotten. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the Melbourne Test that marked the debut of Jack Hobbs, and saw Syd Barnes and Arthur Fielder steal a fascinating win from the proverbial jaws of defeat.

December 22, 1954. In a spectacular spell of sustained, scorching fast bowling, Frank Tyson decimated the Australian batting at Sydney. Arunabha Sengupta writes about Peter May’s hundred and Tyson’s 10 wickets that snatched a memorable, unlikely victory for England.

December 20, 1894. For the first time in the history of Test cricket, a team won after following on. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the amazing Test match where Australia were done in by rain, sun and a drunk Bobby Peel.

December 19, 1907. A tale of suspense, tension and swinging fortunes at Sydney ended in a riveting two-wicket win for Australia, as Tibby Cotter and Gerry Hazlitt held their nerves at the death. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the nerve racking first Test of the 1907-08 Ashes, one of the two timeless classics the series produced that have become almost lost to our remembrances.

September 1, 1981. End of a magical series with a rather subdued final day at The Oval.  Arunabha Sengupta remembers the final Test match of the magnificent 1981 Ashes which saw Mike Brearley and Allan Knott play for England for the last time in their careers.

August 29, 1882. The on-field gamesmanship of WG Grace so incensed Fred Spofforth that it produced a bowling spell that scorched The Oval. As the English batting was cremated in the fire, The Ashes came into being. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the day that gave birth to the most famous and enduring of all cricketing rivalries.

Many an armchair fan may have examined the performance of a national side and boasted “my team could beat them”, safe in the knowledge that they’ll never be required to prove it. Michael Jones looks back to August 30, 1921, when the former England captain Archie MacLaren claimed that he could pick a team to defeat the all-conquering Australian side — and did so.

England won the race against time and light in a finish laced with excitement and pathos. Arunabha Sengupta writes about the game that saw the best innings of Archie MacLaren, one of the pioneering spells of match-winning googly bowling by Bernard Bosanquet and the desperate attempt by Victor Trumper to get to the crease.

May 31, 1882. Cambridge University, powered by the three gifted Studd brothers, defeated the great Australian side of 1882 in a historic encounter. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the match and at the role of the great cricketer and missionary CT Studd in the famous victory.

August 25, 1890. The day Old Trafford was rained into the annals of history. Arunabha Sengupta recalls the first Test match to be abandoned without a ball being bowled.

On September 6, 1880, the first Test was played on English soil. It was also the debut of the great WG Grace. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the historic match at The Oval which culminated in a thrilling finish.

On December 16, 1911, Victor Trumper scored the last Test century of his fantastic career and England stumbled to a huge defeat. Arunabha Sengupta revisits the day when the tourists were perhaps done in by a curious piece of strategy.

August 28, 1956. In spite of over two days of playing time lost because of the weather, the Australians just about managed to struggle and limp to a draw on the final day of their dismal tour. Arunabha Sengupta remembers the day that saw Australia play 38.1 overs to score 27 for 5 as Jim Laker weaved his final bit of magic.

August 15, 1964. After rather listless bowling, Fred Trueman suddenly ran through the Australian lower order. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the day when the Yorkshire fast bowler got Neil Hawke caught by Colin Cowdrey, thus becoming the first bowler in the history of Test cricket to capture 300 wickets.

On August 19, 1953, England regained the Ashes after two decades. Abhishek Mukherjee looks at a historic day that changed the course of a one-way contest on its head.

May 27, 1878. Before the first Test was played in England, a team of travelling Australian cricketers met a strong MCC side at Lord’s. The match ended within a single day and did more for establishing international cricket than any played before or since.  Arunabha Sengupta revisits the day that saw 31 wickets tumble for 105 runs.

August 13, 1902. The day that became immortal in the history of cricket for an incredible finish to an incredible Test match. Arunabha Sengupta recalls the day when Gilbert Jessop launched himself at the Australian attack to score 104 in 77 minutes to turn a certain defeat into a sensational win by one wicket at The Oval.

Richie Benaud routed England at Old Trafford against all expectations on August 1, 1961. Abhishek Mukherjee looks back at the spell that decided one of the greatest Ashes Tests of all time.

The 1960s had witnessed perhaps the most boring days in the history of the sport, even Ashes contests. Things changed in the 1970s and 1980s, more so following the advent of limited-overs cricket. There was, however, the occasional yawnathon, but few as bizarre as what happened on December 16, 1986, when Allan Border and Greg Ritchie put Adelaide Oval to sleep despite the fact that they were trailing in the series. Abhishek Mukherjee recollects a morbid day of Test cricket.

August 12, 1890. If only the catches had been held or the run-out had been affected, the Australians of 1890 would have been hailed as heroes. However, they lost by two wickets and went down in the pages of history as one of the weaker sides to visit England. Arunabha Sengupta recalls the incredibly tense two days at The Oval.

130 runs were scored as 20 wickets fell on a single day on a ‘sticky’ at The Gabba on December 4, 1950. Abhishek Mukherjee looks back at an insane day’s cricket involving a double-declaration.

20 Aug 1930. Bradman hits 232

Mike Whitney made his Test debut on 12 Aug 1981, under rather unusual circumstances.

August 12, 1884. Frustrated by the long Australian innings, Lord Harris asked the wicketkeeper, Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, to have a go. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the curious way lob bowling achieved its first ever success in Test cricket.

June 27, 1953. On the evening of the third day of the Lord’s Test, Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies threw a memorable party at The Savoy. Arunabha Sengupta takes a look at the fascinating evening that witnessed Menzies reading out his poetry about the Australian cricketers and captain Lindsay Hassett responding in kind.

On 31 July 1956, in Manchester, Jim Laker single-handedly routed the Australians, taking 10 wickets in the second innings, making it 19 for the match. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the day that can be bettered by no bowler however hard he tries.

Australia chased down 404 on 27 July 1948

25 July 1964. Bobby Simpson completes the slowest triple hundred.

11 July 1930. Bradman scores 309 in a day

4 July 1921. Lionel Tennyson bats one-handed in a Test match

26 June 1972. Bob Massie swung the ball prodigiously on debut to pick up eight wickets in the first innings. He followed it up with eight in the second. Arunabha Sengupta remembers the spectacular entry into Test cricket of a man who played at the top level for just seven months.

13 June 1938. McCabe miracle at Trent Bridge

On February 13, 1933, Eddie Paynter got up from his hospital bed, took a taxi to the ground, got into the dressing room in his pyjamas, changed into his cricketing whites and proceeded to score a valiant 83. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at one of the most incredible tales of cricketing valour of all time.

Having been dismissed for 99 and 98 in his two previous innings, Clem Hill was dismissed for 97 on January 22, 1902 at Adelaide. Abhishek Mukherjee looks back an agonising run of scores by one of the legends of the sport.

Jack Iverson and his deeds in January 1951

The Jim Laker-Peter May episode of 1958-59 by Mayukh Ghosh

Peter Sainsbury and his near miss … by Mayukh Ghosh

December 20, 1881. Sensational events took place in the background as Victoria and the touring England sides played out a thriller on a sticky wicket. Arunabha Sengupta relates the story of allegations of match-fixing and rampant betting during the ‘pristine’ early years of international cricket.

August 31, 1938. A landmark day in the history of Indian cricket which no one remembers. The champion all-rounder Amar Singh was drafted from Lancashire League cricket to take on the might of the visiting Australians in a First-Class game and brought the visitors down on their knees. Arunabha Sengupta remembers the fantastic feat of fast bowling that is never recounted in the pages of history of Indian cricket.

Melbourne 1924-25.The second Test of the series saw some splendid cricket over seven days. However, it was made unique by a peculiar mistake on the part of match officials. Arunabha Sengupta has the story behind the day eight new balls were used before the score had reached even 200.

Mayukh Ghosh recalls the drama around the wives of the Australian cricketers in 1938.

‘Sahib’ Sellers receives a letter … by Mayukh Ghosh

Ross Gregory was dismissed for the last time in his Test career on February 27, 1937. Abhishek Mukherjee looks at the execution of an Australian miracle on the same that was marred by the dark significance of a dismissal.

The 1950-51 MCC team became the first Ashes side to use air travel. Mayukh Ghosh recounts.

Arthur Coningham set fire on the ground at Blackpool in a match that started August 28, 1893. Abhishek Mukherjee looks back at yet another singular incident in the life of a rather colourful character.

August 14, 1948. England were skittled out for 52 by a lethal Ray Lindwall, following which Don Bradman fell for the most infamous duck in the history of cricket. Arunabha Sengupta remembers the day when the great man played his last Test innings, stopping short of 7,000 Test runs and an average of 100 by 4 runs.

Mayukh Ghosh looks at some of the names that became famous for dismissing Don Bradman

Alfred Hitchcock, arguably the first great name in the genre of suspense and thrillers, was born August 13, 1899. Abhishek Mukherjee looks back at his exaltation at realising that the events of a Hitchcock movie had coincided exactly with an Ashes Test.

Even before the Marylebone Cricket Club(MCC) team set out for Australia, captain Peter May was plagued by multiple problems — especially in the spin department. Jim Laker almost withdrew after severe altercation with the skipper. And after the team was announced, Johnny Wardle’s name had to be erased in the after-shock of his issues with the Yorkshire management. Arunabha Sengupta traces the domestic problems before the foreign venture.

Ashes 1993: Shane Warne’s ball of the Century to Mike Gatting … a Blinders representation.
Design and Illustration: Maha Concept and Text : Arunabha Sengupta

Ashes 1948: Denis Compton celebrates with the Crowd … a Blinders representation.
Design and Illustration: Maha Concept and Text : Arunabha Sengupta

Ashes 1981: Allan Knott’s present to Rodney Marsh … a Blinders representation.
Concept and Illustration: Maha Concept and Text : Arunabha Sengupta

During the flight from Sydney to London, David Boon broke records of a different sort. A Blinders representation, Illustration Maha, Text Arunabha Sengupta

What if Bradman was bowled a bread roll instead of a cricket ball? A Blinders representation, illustration Maha text Arunabha Sengupta

KP refuses to buy beer-buddy Warnie a round. A Blinders representation… illustration by Maha, text by Arunabha Sengupta