Test matches in England in 2005 left stranded on an unbeaten 64 to have a Test batting average of 121 after the first match. The psychological battles before the match saw Australia planting many stories in the press about England already being in trouble. England kept quieter, until just before the game stories appeared about how the Edgbaston game would be decided at the toss: whichever side won it would choose to bowl first and would win. England's mind games paid dividends when Ricky Ponting did just that, as Michael Vaughan admitted that if he had won the toss, he'd have batted, and as the match
Edgbaston Cricket Ground at the redeveloped venue was the third Test vs India on 10 August 2011, which saw England reach the number 1 position in the ICC Test Championship for the first time with victory by an innings and 242 runs on the fourth day of the match. Edgbaston is considered to be one of England's leading cricket grounds. "Wisden"'s guide to cricket grounds in 1992 commented that "Lord's is really its only superior in the United Kingdom" with "The Daily Telegraph" agreeing in 2009 that "taken all in all, it is now the best ground outside Lord's." After the opening of