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So there it lies. After being clinically dispatched in England in 2009, humiliated at home in 2010/11, and being out-box-ticked in England in mid-2013, Australia finally reclaimed the Ashes for the first time since the first few days of 2007.
And they did so in emphatic style.
While the five-Test format allows plenty of scope for draws, defence, tactics and intrigue, England have imploded this series in three straight Tests of unremitting Australian pressure.
This win is as emotional as any in our country’s cricketing history. Accustomed to being world-beaters, Australia has recently had to accept a far humbler place in the pecking order.
Only Michael Clarke has enjoyed an Ashes win before, back in 2006/07.
Since then, Peter Siddle, Brad Haddin, and Shane Watson have been on three losing sides; Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson and Steve Smith have been on two.
The jubilation of their response said it all: Watson pulling out a stump then running over to hand it to Clarke, Johnson and Siddle locked in a long embrace.
Each Test has followed a similar script. Winning the toss has been a huge help, allowing Australia to bat first. In each first innings, England’s bowlers have got on top early but been thwarted by late resistance. Each time England’s reply has fallen well short.
Australia have batted aggressively to rack up impossible targets, then overcome a more resistant England second innings to complete a win.
The scale of disparity has been stark. 561 was the target in the first Test, 531 in the second, 504 in the third. If they play another six, it might come down to something gettable. The winning margins have been 381, 218 and 150.
England’s only consolation is that their second innings has improved with each outing: from 179 in 81.1 overs, to 312 in 101.4, to 353 in 103.2. But from such weak match positions, that’s spitballs against a hurricane.
What has shocked during this series has been the completeness of England’s dismantling at the hands of an opponent who has never let up.
In England earlier this year, the Australians were often embarrassed and often unlucky. England caught a few breaks, created more, and made the most of both.
England’s was a triumph of professionalism, but not an emotionless one: the midnight celebration after The Oval Test showed how much it meant.
Whether emotion played a part in Australia’s win is conjecture, but they have certainly been more fierce at the contest than England were at theirs.
Everything has clicked for Australia this series. Their boom-bust players – Johnson, David Warner, and Haddin – have all dominated.
Clarke has had an excellent series with the bat and in the field. Smith, Watson and George Bailey have all contributed. The bowlers have operated as a wolf pack.
England, on the other hand, have barely had a thing go right. Their four main batsmen arrived in Australia boasting 337 Tests and 77 centuries between them.
Yet England’s first hundred of the series came on the last day of the third Test, from a 22-year-old all-rounder who wasn’t supposed to be in the side.
Besides that century, English batsmen have scored eight fifties. Australia have scored seven centuries and 11 fifties.
Warner is averaging 91.4 across the first three Tests, Haddin 65, Clarke 55.16 and Johnson 49. In contrast, Ben Stokes has England’s best average, at 41.75. Their next best, Ian Bell, has equalled Australian seamer Harris on 38.
It’s not just the top order, either. After the fall of the sixth wicket this series, Australia have added 163, 96*, 113*, 118, and 29*. England’s late partnerships have managed 49, 33, 55, 112, 53 and 57.
Six-hitting may not be considered a Test skill, but can be a marker of dominance: Australia have hit 36 sixes to England’s 12.
As well as equalling the world record for runs scored off one over, George Bailey currently holds the world record for the highest proportion of career runs in sixes: his eight strikes over the rope this series tally 35.29 percent.
When George comes to the crease, it’s BAILEY TIME.
Every Australian bowler has an enviable set of figures. Johnson leads the way with 23 wickets at 15.47, Siddle has 11 at 22.09, Harris 12 at 23.58, Lyon 10 at 31.4, while Watson has chipped in with 3 at 31.
Conversely, England have seen Australia declare in four out of six innings, losing 42 of a possible 60 wickets. England’s only good return has come from Stuart Broad, now in doubt for the series with an injured foot.
He has 14 wickets at 25.21, but Anderson and Swann have half as many, at respective averages of 58.42 and 80.
Under that sort of pressure with bat and ball, England have come apart in the field. There can be little more demoralising than a parade of dropped catches and missed stumpings against a side that makes you pay.
Michael Carberry’s hashed catch in Adelaide allowed Haddin to wreak havoc, then misses in Perth allowed Warner and Chris Rogers to pile on a 167-run opening stand. Completing the picture of misery, both of those misses were down to Matt Prior, as even England’s wicketkeeping joined the ranks of dysfunction.
What was expected to be a very competitive series, with England starting favourites, has been won comprehensively in straight sets. With the Ashes gone, all that is left for England is to pick through the wreckage, and try to find some ways to redeem this tour.
They are a far better side than they’ve showed, but have not been allowed to play to their quality. While you may expect Australia’s pressure to relent with the trophy secure, the home side have been down for too long. It’s highly doubtful they’ll let up now.
Geoff Lemon is a writer and radio broadcaster. He joined The Roar as an expert columnist in 2010, writes the satirical blog Heathen Scripture, and tweets from @GeoffLemonSport. This article was first published by Wisden India, in a new-founded Ashes partnership.