It has been an English bar-room debate for almost two decades. What would happen if England [Images] were allowed to play Australia minus Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne [Images]?

On Thursday, courtesy of a stray cricket ball during a playful game of rugby, half of that prayer came to pass.

McGrath, warming up for the second Test, slipped over the ball and damaged his right ankle ligaments, retiring to hospital, then the pavilion, accompanied by the team physio, a pair of crutches and his 508 Test wickets.

Michael Kasprowicz, his stand-in at Edgbaston, is no mean competitor and took three wickets in his place as England were bowled out for 407. But he is no McGrath. Nobody is.

The 35-year-old McGrath says he relies on boredom to dismiss batsmen, but there is a little more to it than that.

He bowls at a fair zip, with the accuracy of a spinner and with the stamina of a marathon man. To keep his opponents honest, he nips the ball off the seam, first one way, then the other.

At Lord's in the first Test, England bowled the Australians out for 190 on the first day but the jubilation did not last too long after McGrath was tossed the ball.

After 16.1 overs, England had been reduced to 21 for five. McGrath, mobbed by his team mates, boasted figures of 8.1-4-7-5. The fast bowler ended the game with nine wickets and England lost by 239 runs.

On Thursday, after 16.1 overs, England were 68 without loss and Marcus Trescothick [Images] and Andrew Strauss [Images] were all smiles while McGrath sat things out.

At Lord's, England had made 155 in a first innings lasting 48.1 overs. On Edgbaston, they were 155 for one after 29.4 overs.

That, statistically, is the difference that McGrath makes.

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Or, as Andrew Flintoff [Images] said: "He's a massive player for them. It was hard work against him at Lord's. I suppose it is a boost having him off their team sheet, in some ways, even though they still have a formidable attack."

Before the Ashes, McGrath had predicted a 5-0 Australian whitewash. His only concern, he said, was bad weather.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting's [Images] only concern will be how long he will have to do without one of the greatest players ever to grace the game.

McGrath is a major doubt for the third Test at Old Trafford starting next Thursday but has targetted "at worst" the fourth Test, which begins on August 25 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

In the meantime, England should enjoy the reprieve. And, perhaps, invite over Warne and his 593 leg-spun Test wickets for another game of touch rugby on Friday morning.

- Ashes 2005: Complete coverage