Horrific. Woeful. Shambolic. Describe the day-one debacle whichever way you like, Australia’s first-innings total of 60 in the fourth Ashes Test is likely to have serious ramifications.
It will almost certainly start with a loss at Trent Bridge, a result that would ensure the urn changes hand in Nottingham.
Where it ends will be a matter for Cricket Australia bigwigs.
Shot selection, selectors’ selections, selection of selectors, captain’s calls and coach’s calls – all of it will be fiercely debated in Australia after one of the nation’s worst sessions of cricket.
Australia have been bowled out for less, but rarely when the stakes are so high.
Michael Clarke was one of many players to liken the game to their ‘grand final’ this week.
Down 2-1, the tourists needed to avoid defeat to stay alive in the five-Test series.
Within 93 minutes of play starting, that looked as good as impossible.
Clarke will rightly cop the brunt of the scrutiny.
He scored 10, a relative mountain of runs in a sea of failures.
But his mode of dismissal, unconvincingly chasing a wide ball from Stuart Broad, was among the worst on Thursday.
He is a captain short of runs, a passenger in the XI by his own admission.
When Clarke was out for two in a total of 47 against South Africa in 2011, he’d scored a century in the first innings.
Clarke was at the peak of his powers then, a triple-century against India the highlight of a sizzling 2011-12.
He looks a completely different batsman now.
The 34-year-old remains defiant this is not the end, while coach Darren Lehmann vowed to give Clarke “as long as he needs” after the third Test.
The conversation may move on quickly.
Clarke, of course, was not alone.
Australia’s total of 136 at Edgbaston was bad, another reminder of their tendency to collapse under pressure.
Not even managing half of that against an attack missing Jimmy Anderson was very bad, confirming there were embedded issues.
Working out the short-term answers to those problems will largely fall to Clarke, Lehmann and chairman of selectors Rod Marsh.
The long-term solution will be hatched by those leaders plus chief executive James Sutherland, performance manager Pat Howard and incoming chairman David Peever.
The problem for all these men is that there’s a sense of deja vu about it all.
When Lehmann was installed on the eve of the 2013 series, little was expected.
The team returned to England this year as favourites.
Ryan Harris, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin were expected to lead the charge but didn’t, for a range of reasons.
The 17-man squad will leave embarrassed – since federation Australia have never lost four consecutive UK Ashes series.
The faces in the XI may have changed, but Broad made the batting order look just as brittle.
Psychokaraoke
Guest
I've always been pretty embarrassed at our Aussies in recent years being some of the best sledgers in world cricket. It's almost like a 'karma' thing coming back to bite them. Don Bradman didn't carry on, Federer, Nadal, Rod laver, Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras. Shouldn't need it to be the best. Lleyton Hewitt didn't sledge when he brought Aust Davis Cup team back from the brink recently. I don't see sledging so much by the Wallabies, or other national team
Wasted1
Guest
No way. Us kiwis have lived through far too many innings like this to be gloating about it. Id go as far as saying we were specialists at it, especially during the 2000's.
Adam
Guest
Fair point Chris.
adam
Guest
hopefully, this debacle gets to be an" alamo" sort of reformation for oz cricket... could we beat a mexican eleven? lets challenge before they get tuition...
JoM
Roar Rookie
Also the equal 4th most successful away Australian captain. If you are going to put in the crap then put in the good as well.
timbo
Guest
On the basis of at effort (NOT), I think they should all donate their payments to Junior Cricket Development.
ChrisB
Guest
The only issue with your analysis is that T20 took off after most of these guys learnt the game. And every other country plays it and focuses on it. I have no doubt that T20 is impacting batsmen around the world, but I can't accept that it's affecting us any worse. This doesn't make sense I can remember my father and his mates bemoaning the impact of ODIs on batting in the 80s. But, just like in recent years, the explosion of the new format happened to coincide with a cyclical downturn in Australian standards. I don't think its the cause. These guys have simply inherited the Hayden-era disdain for batting any other way than going hard at the ball from the get-go. Hayden thrived for a while on intimidation and being in an awesome team, but got found out in the last few years when the aura started to fade, and bowlers wised up. Simon Jones and co made him look silly in 05. Unfortunately our batting style - always favouring that approach anyway - has magnified this with lesser players in a lesser team.
ChrisB
Guest
Brendon, players are never the best judge. They are an arrogant, closed shop, boy's club who think that only those who have "played at the top level" understand cricket. Warne is so tarnished by playing favourites his opinions should never hold validity. Remember his 100 best players of my time book that had Gilchrist and Steve Waugh ridiculously low. Like his "mentor" Ian Chappell he does not know how to separate personal likes/dislikes from professional judgement And you are right about Lehmann. His whole approach reeks of arrogance and disdain for the opposition. Despite his excellent record in county cricket. You can almost tell these guys all think there's something rotten when they don't get one of their hand-picked pitches. We should have gone for a Bayliss-type. Knowledgeable, played at a high level, but no rock star, and not part of a generation that dominated the game (well he was in age of course, but not in being a test player) and seem to think turning up is enough to win
Brendon
Guest
I've got a feeling Clarke will fall on his sword and retire immediately after this test. I wouldnt bet my life on it and I'm sure a lot of people will disagree. He might play at the Oval but surely that will be his last test. But Lehman has to go as well. His managerial style is something from the virtual amateur days of the 1970's. His attitude to opposition teams is the same as his attitude when he was playing when Australia's talent and skill level far far far exceeded other countries but that is no longer the case. The fact that Lehman totally underestimated England's ability shows how inept and unprofessional his approach is. Someone like John Buchanan would never had started this series so oblivious and out of touch in regards to the opposition but you only have to read what players like Warne have to say about Buchanan shows that players arent always the best judge. You can't blame Australia's poor performance solely due to lacking Ryan Harris. This team was poorly prepared, arrogant and out of touch and Lehman has to take the blame. Cricket doesn't have the luxury of the NRL and AFL and being isolated, bloated and inefficient yet still being successful because no one else plays those sports (Though the Kiwis have dominated in League in recently). Cricket in Australia largely lives and dies based of the performance of the national team. While the big bash league helps and is a good income source outside the national team, performances like the 4th test will have major negative long term impacts. Just like how rugby has bleed out due to the Wallabies poor performances over the past 10 years.
peregrine
Guest
Great bowling from Broad. Used what the pitch was offering up and took advantage of the cloud cover and atmospheric conditions. Reckless and unaccountable batting from the Aussies. Scoring on a greentop, in the first session of a test match, with challenging conditions for batters, is not the priority. Preserving your wicket is. Four days to go. And we get to bat again. No statements of intent, please, just put up a genuinely decent effort.
Adam
Guest
The poor behaviour of Haddin and others soured our World Cup win. New Zealanders must be rightfully gloating at our humiliation.
Adam
Guest
I hope Cricket Australia can understand the anger the cricket loving public are feeling at the moment. It is acceptable to lose a game of cricket, but this performance is hard to fathom. The Australian team has failed to perform overseas when faced with a variety of wickets/conditions for the past ten years. Swing, seam and slow wickets highlight a glaring weakness in batting and bowling technique and application. Given the coaching, planning and resources available to a team of professionals, I cannot grasp how the same mistakes are being repeated. Cricket Australia must take some blame for the scheduling of the Big Bash series in the middle of our test and Sheild season each summer. It may be a cash bonanza but if our test team continues down this path the game will die from the top down. Ultimately people will grow tired of 20/20, just as 50 over cricket has waned and 80's basketball popularity fizzled. Four years since the Argus review our test team is in bad, if not worse shape. From a match perspective, I cannot understand how two out of form players ( Cook and Lyth ) could bat so easily on a wicket that made Australia look like high school students. Throw in Bairstow who was generally regarded as not up to test level but the only option available, making 70.
Brenton
Guest
Clarke has to go and Darren Lehmann also needs to consider his position in this, as coach how do you explain Faulkner been 3 times over the legal limit The team needs a huge culture change
Clark
Guest
Couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of guys. If only Haddin was there to join in with the festivities
Jules
Guest
Spot on.
Bomb78
Guest
ChrisB: we used to have green wickets in Australia - in fact, it wasn't that long ago we had a variety of wickets across the country, that prepared both our bowlers and batsmen for almost all the conditions they may face anywhere in the world. Brisbane seamed and swung; Adelaide batted well early and then broke up, making batsmen fight if not to win but for a draw. Perth was fast and viscous, Sydney turned. They all rewarded players with skill, but above all patience. Getting a green top isn't that hard - but without getting all conspiracy theory weird, I can't imagine that the paymasters at Channel 9 being all that happy with a handful of three day test matches each summer. From memory, The Gabba and Hobart have produced a few two and a bit day Shield matches in recent years. No one seemed to look for any positives in these results, only negatives like it was too bowler friendly.
Andy
Guest
Clarke has never been a great pressure batsman. But the top and middle order have shown very little leadership. What we would kill to have someone who could come in at 4 and 5 and steady an innings, dig in until the shine wears off and he sun comes out. This team simply had no intestinal fortitude. Just a pack of highly paid talkers that can't handle any form of pressure
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
Clarke's shot to get out was atrocious, belonged in T20, not tests.
Wallaby thrasher
Guest
Hang on! Smith, 'The best batsman in the world', said that England were not even going to come close. What's going on?
ChrisB
Guest
The problem will be that, like England and prettying every other side right now, we will come home to our favoured conditions, blast teams away and think we're awesome again. It seems to be weird that in this globalised cricket age, national choice for preferred batting conditions - and the ability to bat (or bowl) on others seems to have diverged so widely. Very odd As for Aus, I'd say we urgently need to develop conditions that replicate slow turners. How we reicate Englidh seaming wickets might be tougher, indoors? We also have to ensure batting coaches at junior level aren't just teaching T20 suitable styles. But that can't be blamed for th last 4 Ashes tours. This is a mental issue. This is fear and petulance at having a non-preferred wicket and refusing to adjust accordingly. This is also, to be fair, kind of what happened in 56, 77, 81 and 85.