One wicket. One wicket is all Australia needed. 69 balls at James Anderson and Monty Panesar, and Australia can’t win the game.

While it is tempting to take a machine gun into a crowded building after a game like that, first you have to marvel at two — just better than completely useless — batsmen holding up an end to save a game for their country. Monty and Jimmy aren’t walking wickets, they are ordinary tailenders polished by the professional game. But 69 balls was longer than any of the first five wicket partnerships. And they looked like going out a lot less than their top order teammates.

You may want to punch them right now, but you have to respect them. Australia may have made it easier for them at times (Marcus North?), but they still had to stick it out knowing one mistake meant Australia got the dream start.

Australia was never the favourite to win this Test. Cardiff is designed for spin, and Australia was taking in their club spinner against two international class spinners. Yet, once you look past Jimmy Anderson’s fist pump after saving the game, you realise that Nathan Hauritz took more wickets in the game than England did. Yes, that Nathan Hauritz. The one Australia picked from grade cricket. Yes, really.

Both teams batted for two and a half days. One team took five wickets, and one took 19. Jimmy Anderson might have been overcome with emotion, but it wasn’t from the joy of a hard fought game, it was at the fact they somehow they managed not to lose. Australia was one wicket away from an innings victory on the pitch that was set up for the hosts.

This isn’t a demoralising draw, this is a joyous one. Once Ricky Ponting stops calling the English cheats he will realise that Australia dominated England in this Test.

Four batsmen made hundreds, and Michael Clarke should have. Mitchell Johnson was not even required.

The bowling wasn’t as smooth, but the last two bowlers picked took 11 wickets between them. Mitchell Johnson couldn’t hit the pitch at times, and Peter Siddle was more interested in trying to squeeze imaginary life out of the middle of the pitch than get wickets. But even with their two main bowlers struggling on an ordinary wicket, the Australians almost bowled England out twice.

That has got to be what Australia takes out of this match. They might not have won it, but England weren’t even in the match for the last four days, they had resorted to cardboard cut outs on the fourth day.

Ricky is too angry for positives right now. Being one of the great moralists of our time, he feels it is his right to set England straight on what is in the spirit of the game. Peter Siddle can stand mid pitch and swear at his opponent but England can’t time waste in the last hour.

Once he has sorted that out, hopefully he can get Mitchell Johnson’s mind right, and go one wicket better at Lord’s. They say Australia grow an extra leg at Lord’s, if that is true, England will need to find some serious form quickly.

You have to love Test cricket, five days of play, a draw, and people over here couldn’t be more excited. Love live Test cricket, and long live the exciting draw.