INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
LONDON: England and Australia will renew their storied rivalry on Friday in the first Test of the latest Ashes series at Edgbaston.But what
exactly are the Ashes and why does the contest inspire such passion between two otherwise friendly countries on opposite sides of the
world?Here's the history behind one of sport's oldest and most intense contests.The "Ashes" is the name given to the series of Test
matches played between England and Australia, generally every two years.Test matches each last a maximum of five days, with the overall
winner of the series presented with a replica of the historic Ashes urn.Australia are the current holders after winning the 2021/22 edition
on home soil.1/15The Ashes: Origin and historyPreviousNextShow Captionslt;p>Standing at little more than 10 centimetres (four inches) tall,
the original Ashes urn resides in the Marylebone Cricket Club museum at the famous Lord's ground in London
lt;p>The use of the term "Ashes" dates from England's first home defeat against Australia at The Oval in London in 1882
lt;p>Following Australia's victory, Sporting Times journalist Reginald Shirley Brooks printed a mock obituary of English cricket, saying:
"The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia"
lt;p>A few weeks later, England set off to tour Australia and, after a "social" match near Melbourne on Christmas Eve 1882, English captain
Ivo Bligh was given a small terracotta urn as a symbol of the "Ashes" he had sworn to win back.lt;p>In 1998, Bligh's 82-year-old
daughter-in-law said the urn contains the remains of her mother-in-law's veil, while others claim it is filled with the ashes of a burnt
cricket bail.lt;p>Few sporting rivalries are fiercer than the Ashes, with battered bodies and bloodied faces all part of more than a century
lt;p>In the 1932/33 "Bodyline" series, England, led by Douglas Jardine, deliberately aimed fast deliveries at Australian batters' bodies
rather than the stumps in the hope they would get out trying to protect themselves
lt;p>The aggressive tactic, led by England's main strike bowler Harold Larwood was seen as unsporting, but unrepentant England won the
series to the fury of their bruised opponents.lt;p>The 1981 series was named "Botham's Ashes" after all-rounder Ian Botham's feats with
bat and ball inspired England to victory
lt;p>Australia spinner Shane Warne provided one of the most iconic moments in Ashes history when his incredible "ball of the century" bowled
lt;p>Arguably the greatest Ashes series was played in 2005 when England, powered by Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, beat an Australia
lt;p>The tone for that series -- England's first Ashes triumph since 1986/87 -- was set early in the first Test when Steve Harmison's
bouncer left Ricky Ponting with blood streaming down his face.lt;p>Australia are the current holders after winning the 2021/22 edition on
lt;p>The upcoming series is the first Ashes contest to be staged in England since the 2019 series ended in a 2-2 draw and Australia retained
England's last series victory came in 2015
The upcoming series is the first Ashes contest to be staged in England since the 2019 series ended in a 2-2 draw.England's last series
victory came in 2015.The use of the term "Ashes" dates from England's first home defeat against Australia at The Oval in London in
1882.Following Australia's victory, Sporting Times journalist Reginald Shirley Brooks printed a mock obituary of English cricket, saying:
"The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia".(Getty Images)A few weeks later, England set off to tour Australia and, after a
"social" match near Melbourne on Christmas Eve 1882, English captain Ivo Bligh was given a small terracotta urn as a symbol of the "Ashes"
he had sworn to win back.Standing at little more than 10 centimetres (four inches) tall, the original Ashes urn resides in the Marylebone
Cricket Club museum at the famous Lord's ground in London.In 1998, Bligh's 82-year-old daughter-in-law said the urn contains the remains
of her mother-in-law's veil, while others claim it is filled with the ashes of a burnt cricket bail.Few sporting rivalries are fiercer
than the Ashes, with battered bodies and bloodied faces all part of more than a century of feuding.In the 1932/33 "Bodyline" series, England
deliberately aimed fast deliveries at Australian batters' bodies rather than the stumps in the hope they would get out trying to protect
themselves.The aggressive tactic was seen as unsporting, but unrepentant England won the series to the fury of their bruised
opponents.(Getty Images)The Ashes has provided some of cricket's most memorable moments.The 1981 series was named "Botham's Ashes" after
all-rounder Ian Botham's feats with bat and ball inspired England to victory.Australia spinner Shane Warne provided one of the most iconic
moments in Ashes history when his incredible "ball of the century" bowled Mike Gatting in 1993.Arguably the greatest Ashes series was played
in 2005 when England, powered by Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, beat an Australia team packed with stars.The tone for that series --
England's first Ashes triumph since 1986/87 -- was set early in the first Test when Steve Harmison's bouncer left Australia batsman
Ricky Ponting with blood streaming down his face.
