10 best drawn Test matches of the last decade

#2 England v Australia, Cardiff, 2009

England's tail held firm

The first game of the Ashes in 2009 produced one of the most pulsating draws ever seen in Test cricket. After dismissing England for 435 in the 1st innings, Australia responded with a massive 674, with four batsmen scoring centuries. Staring at a deficit of 239, England ended the 4th day at 20 for 2 and lost Kevin Pietersen early on the 5th day to be reduced to 31 for 3. They continued to lose wickets and were reeling at 159 for 7 when Paul Collingwood and Graeme Swann got together to stem the bleeding.

However, the dismissal of Swann and then Collingwood in quick succession meant that England's number 10 and 11 had to bat out the last few overs in order to avoid the ignominy of an innings defeat in the first Test. James Anderson and Monty Panesar's heroic 11.3-over vigil to keep Australia at bay went a long way in ensuring that England were not dealt a body blow in the very first Test match of the series.