England 2005 Ashes hero warns Ben Stokes and co over final India Test match

Ashes legend Matthew Hoggard now runs a barbecue school - and after landing the holy grill in 2005 he says England must cook up a storm this week.

Going to The Oval 2-1 up in a gripping marquee series? Hoggard has been there and done that 20 years ago as Michael Vaughan’s heroes recaptured the urn in a seismic summer when cricket was the only show in town.

Now England are in the same boat after a tetchy, thrilling win at Lord’s and a sour finish to the stalemate at Old Trafford as Ben Stokes fed two Indian batters joke bowling to bring up their centuries when they refused to shake hands on the draw earlier. And Hoggard was thrilled the class of 2005 was namechecked by Joe Root as one of his inspirations growing up after Yorkshire’s batting royalty unfurled his 38th Test century at the weekend.

Hoggy, who took 248 wickets in 67 Tests, said: “Listening to Joe being interviewed, after he had just become the second-greatest run scorer of all time in Test cricket, saying he had been inspired by the Ashes winners of 2005 was music to my ears. That’s why we play cricket - to leave a legacy, and leave something behind to inspire younger generations, still gives you goosebumps.

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“I think back to 2005 with 10,000 people being turned away from the final day at Old Trafford, people bunking off work or school to watch the finale at The Oval and, yes, it was the best of times.

“When I look at footage of the open-top bus parade to Trafalgar Square, and none of us look sober, in the social media age we would probably have been crucified but I genuinely can’t remember anyone giving us any stick. We went round the Prime Minister’s house a bit worse for wear, went to Trafalgar Square for the parade a bit bleary-eyed and went back to Lord’s for a reception in a state of disrepair - but nobody minded because we were winners.”

Hoggard hopes Stokes’ side will turn up cooking on the front burner on Thursday after a nerve-jangling climax in 2005 was only settled by Kevin Pietersen’s audacious 158 on the final afternoon.

“We had gone 2-1 up at Trent Bridge in an unbearably tense finish when I was hiding under towels and trembling in the physio’s room, unable to watch as the wickets fell as we chased 129 to win,” Hoggard who is now working as one of the UK’s leading Motivational Speakers, told Mirror Sport.

“But when it was my turn to bat, with 13 runs still needed and Brett Lee’s bowling 95mph rockets, you switch on and it gets easier - because you’re the one who is empowered to take charge and get the job done.

“Lee was either trying to kill me or york me, but when he got one wrong and I managed to send it to the extra cover boundary I think Vaughany (captain Michael Vaughan) nearly fell off the balcony. I’m not sure he’d ever seen me hit an extra cover drive before.

“As Ashley Giles, who hit the winning runs, and I walked off, he said, ‘Enjoy the moment, we’re kings for the night.’ He was right - our pace attack was called the Fab Four but it was really a fab five because Gilo was the forgotten man of that bowling unit. He was immense.

“But when we got to The Oval for the final Test, the nerves took over again. The night before I was out for dinner with my wife and I was so uptight I called for the bill and walked out. My head was all over the place, I’m afraid I was a bit of a t**t.”

England’s pace attack was detained in the field 143 overs as they chased victory in vain at Old Trafford, and Hoggard warned: “It’s going to be survival of the fittest and it reminds me of 2005. You can’t go to The Oval and play for a draw because you’ll come unstuck if the mentality isn’t right.

“In an ideal world we bat first, go big and put India under pressure to match us or go past us. England have more gears in the batting line-up than India, especially if they are going to be without Rishabh Pant.

“It’s been hard graft for bowlers on both sides, but we score quicker than India and if they have to put their foot down to chase the game, that’s when The Oval can be a tricky customer.”

For more information visit https://champions-speakers.co.uk

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