Quote:There was the 2005 series, widely considered the greatest ever, a series marked by exceptional performances by Andrew Flintoff especially, but quite a number of others as well. These are but a few examples that come readily to mind. There have been many others.

For sure, the Ashes is not unique in producing thrilling battles and high-level performances – there are loads of great performances that spring from other encounters as well. The point is, however, that you are more likely to produce your best when you are up against your main rival.

Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier contested some of boxing’s most bruising bouts. “This is the closest to death I have ever been,” said Ali after the Thrilla In Manilla, the last of their three fights. It appeared that both fighters would have rather died than lose. “Only fighting each other,” said legendary boxing broadcaster Larry Merchant, “could have brought that much effort out, at a time in their careers when fighters, given all the punches that had landed on them, generally don’t want to go that far.”