Stokes: "The dream that we came here with is now over"

PL reports on a day that, like much of this series, didn't quite go to plan for the home side, but they got there and the Ashes are Austalia's

Here, in the city Salman Rushdie once said was “the perfect setting for a Stephen King novel or a horror film”, the place where “things go bump in the night”, a Test match rose from the dead to terrify and torment Test cricket fans of both persuasions.

England’s Bazballers, zombie marching to Bazball’s funeral pyre for the first four days of this match, had clawed their way back to life.

Australia, apparently cruising toward Ashes victory, began to develop strange sores and nervous rashes.

We’d seen this movie in Headingley in 2019, where England had come back from the dead, and Adelaide had hosted a match where Australia had turned things on their head in 2006-07.

The Barmy Army got louder, each shot from the opposition batter more emphatic and every grimace from the Australians more alarming.

Sunday morning coming down.

Australia, as you all know, got there in the end. This side, Stuart Broad dubbed the worst since 2010-11, has won an Ashes series inside 11 days.

A side spotted with second-choice players and never in full pomp has slain the Bazball beast. In Adelaide, where the stake was driven through the heart, Steve Smith watched the first two days from the comfort of his hotel room and the last few from the coaches’ box. Josh Hazlewood has absented himself from all five matches. Pat Cummins missed Brisbane and Perth. Usman Khawaja was unavailable in Brisbane and hurt in Perth.

England had as near a full retinue of first-choice picks as a side could hope for. Paceman Mark Wood has been its only casualty so far, but others may pay for self-inflicted wounds when it comes time for the Boxing Day match.

“The dream that we came here with is now over,” England captain Ben Stokes said post-match.

After play, Cummins said that Australia knew it would take a squad and not an XI to win the five-match series, and that will continue to be true. He will not play at the MCG and is in doubt for Sydney. Nathan Lyon, who was driven from the ground after appearing to tear his hamstring before the last session, is no chance. Smith will come back, which will be bad news for either Josh Inglis or Usman Khawaja.

Australia, as they have all series, found a way with key contributions from unexpected places. Marnus Labuschagne, who’d pulled off an incredible catch to remove Ollie Pope the previous day, stepped up again as Will Jacks closed in on a half-century that threatened to turn the game England’s way.