India, Aug. 29 -- On 29th August in 1882, England needed 85 runs to win a Test match at The Oval. They had WG Grace, home conditions and what appeared to be an almost laughably small target. By the end of the day, however, Australia had won by seven runs, English cricket had suffered one of its earliest great humiliations and the chain of events that created the Ashes had begun.

The famous rivalry between England and Australia is generally traced back to that remarkable Test, played at Kennington Oval on August 28 and 29, 1882. It was only the ninth Test match in history and Australia had never previously beaten England on English soil.

Nothing about the opening innings suggested history was about to be made. Australia were bowled out f...