(Matt Poynting is a freelance writer, cricket fan and BPL contributor)

The 2000th Test match is over and England has emerged as the impobable winner against India after a contest that epitomised all that is good about the five-day game.

It was a quintessential Test, from the drizzly first morning at Lord's to the fighting double ton from Kevin Pietersen to the final-day dramas. Importantly, the fans turned out in their droves to witness the bizarre events unfold day by day.

Initially, it looked as though England were up to their old tricks, losing both openers early in their first innings. Alastair Cook was gone almost immediately, LBW for 12 from the bowling of Zaheer Khan. The Indian veteran struck again not long after when he removed captain Andrew Strauss for 22. Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen steadied things, compiling 98 between them before the Trott was sent packing.

England never really looked troubled in their first innings after that as Ian Bell (45) and Pietersen (202*) added 110 for the fourth wicket, taking their side to a handy total of 270. Eoin Morgan only saw a minute of the action before he was caught behind off Kumar. Cameos from Matt Prior (71) and Graeme Swann (24) lifted England to a defendable 474 at the end of the second day. Praveen Kumar made the honours board with 5 for 106, a rare highlight for the Indians in the first innings.

India started their chase reasonably well with a 63-run opening partnership setting a decent foundation for the robust middle-order to build upon. Unfortunately for the visitors, only Rahul Dravid fired, his first Test century at the famed home of cricket coming from 202 balls.

India tumbled to 5 wickets for 183 and never really recovered, finishing all out for 286. Stuart Broad was the best of the bowlers, taking 4 for 37, but the intensity shown in the field was indicative of what would eventually win England this Test.

Starting day four with a 193-run lead and all wickets intact, England was in a solid position to put India to the sword. But as they have done countless times in the past, the English got off to a rocky start and looked as though they were going to let this opportunity slip through their fingers.

Cook contributed just one with the bat as the top order failed for the second time. But, again, one of the English batsmen stood tall and delivered a fine knock to steer his side back to safety.

When wicketkeeper Matt Prior walked out to bat, his side was 5 for 62 and Ishant Sharma had taken the last three scalps. Prior went on to play a gutsy, determined but thoroughly entertaining innings, scoring an unbeaten ton in what surely would be the highlight of his cricketing career thus far. To score a century at Lords is every cricketer's dream. To do it when your country is struggling to extend a lead of only 250 against arguably the best batting line-up in cricket is the stuff of pure fantasy.

Bravely supported by Stuart Broad (74*), who is no stranger to backs-to-the-wall knocks at Lords, Prior finished on 103*. When the innings was declared at 6 for 269, India needed 458 to win with just over a day remaining. Sharma finished with 4 for 59, to be the best of the bowlers.

To compound their position, India were forced to re-order their batting line-up when Sachin Tendulkar fell ill and Gautam Ghambir was injured. Both would eventually bat in the innings, but their impact was minimal.

At the close of the fourth day's play, the visitors were 1 for 80. However, two positives were there for all to see as first-innings century maker, Dravid, and run chase specialist VVS Laxman had both just passed 30.

At the start of day five, England's bowlers were faced with the difficult prospect of taking India's nine remaining wickets but, in their favour, the Lord's pitch still carried some movement.

Granted, the visitors were never going to get the runs. The challenge lay in beating the renowned defensive wall that is Rahul Dravid as well as his partners in crime, Laxman, Tendulkar, Gambhir, Raina and Dhoni. Despite a gritty 78 from Suresh Raina, it was all England and in particular James Anderson who took 5 for 65. India were all out for 261, 196 runs short of the target.

England displayed much more than sheer determination and will to win in this Test. In the 2010/11 Ashes series in Australia, we saw how capable the England batting line-up was of scoring mammoth totals. Alastair Cook proved himself to be the best opener, if not batsman, in the world today, while Strauss, Trott, Pietersen, Bell and Prior all shone at one point or another during the series.

In the 2000th Test match ever played, we were exposed to a different England, a far more dangerous team than that which thrashed Australia over the summer.

For the first time, they stood tall against truly quality opponents in a way that the dominant Australians used to in the 1990s. On the rare occasion when the top order failed, one or two of the middle-order men steadied the ship. Failing that, the lower middle order would step up in the shape of a Damien Martyn or an Adam Gilchrist.

In the 2000th Test, it was Pietersen and Prior. The England top order won't have many Tests like this where they failed in both innings. When you combine their batting talent with the bowling strength of Broad, Anderson and Swann, England is looking ominously good.

The home of cricket sure knows how to put on a show, even in Test match No.2000.