Ashes 2005: Top five performers

4. Shane Warne, the all-rounder (249 runs and 40 wickets)

The blonde leg-spinner had a phenomenal outing in the 2005 edition of the Ashes, performing exceedingly well with both bat and ball. Time and again, Warne delivered the goods during a hotly-contested series as he foxed batsmen with his subtle spin variations, but it was his heroics with the bat that brought him into the limelight.

Warne unleashed his magic in the second innings of the first Test as England struggled to chase a record 420 for a win. He used a combination of the top-spinner, the leg-break and the zooter – all delivered with phenomenal accuracy – as he winkled out four English batsmen in quick time.

For most Australian fans, the clock seemed to have turned back to 1993, when the rotund slow bowler made his memorable debut. Only Kevin Pietersen stood firm amid the ruins the leg-spinner left in the wake of his mesmerizing web.

He also made telling contributions with the bat – after taking 10 wickets in the second Test, he defied the English bowlers for 79 minutes, putting on valuable partnerships with the tail, and hitting a couple of huge sixes.

His dismissal by Flintoff was the turning point as Australia ended two runs short. At Old Trafford, he went through an agonizing heart-ache after missing out on a maiden Test hundred by ten runs, while in the fourth game, his quick cameo could not prevent England from taking a 2-1 lead after his side were forced to follow-on.

Nevertheless, he took another 12 wickets in the last game to end his tour on a personal high.