After taking more than 1250 Test wickets between them in their brilliant Test careers, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath have told of their delight at being part of the Australian team that crushed England in this summer's 3 mobile Ashes series.
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Both were stung badly by Australia's shock surrender of the title on English soil in 2005 and vowed to atone for that defeat - together with their team-mates they put together a memorable campaign that saw the tourists dispatched 5-0.
So good have Australia's performances been from the opener at the Gabba on November 23 to the final session at the SCG on Friday, that Warne and McGrath believe it has been possibly the greatest collective effort they have been a part of.
"I think the most important and the most pleasing thing about this summer is the way that we've played," Warne said. "I think the cricket that we've played this summer, there hasn't really been a standout player in our side. I think everybody has contributed at some stage."
"You think back to any one of the Test matches at any given time … the way it all went through every Test match, someone pulled something out of the bag. I think we've actually played some of the best cricket I've been involved in."
"I don't think I've been involved in a cricket side that's played relentless and tough cricket like we've played this summer. So I think to finish on a high like we have the cricket we've played has been very, very pleasing."
"I think the way we've played since the last Ashes has been some of the most outstanding cricket I've been involved in," McGrath added.
"I think to realise that we haven't had the Ashes, you look back to the first Test in Brisbane and I think we were really pumped up and ready for that, but since Brisbane I think it's just been, like Shane said, an amazing team performance."
"There's been no standout player. When we've bowled there's been no easy runs and when we've batted they've really had to work hard for their wickets. It's just been an awesome team performance."
