If we rewind to early November, a pragmatic and sober English mind should have been hoping to head to Sydney no worse than 2-1 down, which could have occurred along the following lines:
Wins in either in Brisbane or Perth were unlikely. The best they could hope for was to be competitive and maybe get some rain in Brisbane, but history says they would lose both Tests.
With the Melbourne wicket a road, a draw could be salvaged.
The one English win – which would give the tourists a sniff of a drawn series heading to Sydney – hinged on Adelaide.
Adelaide, the scene of the crime in 2006 for so-called ‘Amazing Adelaide’ (which is nonsense, as it was four days of mind-numbing cricket where bat dominated and England lost the plot on the fifth day).
Nonetheless, that fateful fifth day will forever be a ghost for English cricket. Said ghost was unfortunately revisited in 2017, but this time on Days 1 and 2, when the entire series was lost.
As such, this series was over by Day 2 of the second Test match. In session terms, a meagre 18 sessions in to the series.
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Many will say Joe Root lost the plot and chose to bowl, but he did that in concert with his two senior bowlers and the coach.
The rainy and overcast conditions were the nearest thing you get in Australia to a damp Old Trafford in early May and if the Kookaburra was ever going to swing and move it was then.
It was also a risk worth taking if England were to ever get that sniff, fuelled by memories of that great first session in Adelaide in 2010 and Australia being bowled out before the day was out.
A happy day for Jimmy Anderson, picking up four wickets, and a respectable day for Stuart Broad, who created pressure with higher pace and tight economical overs.
On that day, the combined Anderson-Broad figures were the best part of 40 overs for 90 runs and five wickets.
Forward to the end of the Australian innings in 2017 and the pair had bowled 60 overs for 150 runs and three wickets. The damage was done.
The sad truth is that only one wicket was taken by the senior men on Day 1 – Anderson getting Usman Khawja – but by then it was the 52nd over.
The 52nd over in damp, overcast conditions and somehow Anderson and Broad with a combined 900 Test wickets between them could only muster one miserable wicket.
That that was the story – not a brain fade by Joe Root, but the two leading wicket-takers in English cricket history bowling particularly badly.
The day was December 2, 2017 – the day the Ashes were lost.
Nudge
Guest
That was the moment the ashes were lost Paul
AREH
Roar Guru
I'd even argue the period between late on Day 1 in Brisbane and the middle of Day 3 was where it was lost. I know it was only the first test, but Vince's run-out halted his own and the team's momentum, and then failure to break some of Australia's partnerships like Smith/S.Marsh and Smith/Cummins was pretty crucial. Having Australia at 4/76 in their first innings when Marsh came to the crease late on Day 2 meant they were well on top in the match at that stage. Only 1-0 down going into Adelaide but the end result of a ten wicket defeat in Brisbane I think was mentally crushing, and Australia were well on top in the series by the time England got the ball talking on that third evening in Adelaide.
Bakkies
Guest
Putting men on the fence with the first new ball and a lead is a big hole he dug with his captaincy. It is like saying to your bowlers we are going out to contain rather than take wickets.
Bakkies
Guest
The media are just doing their job calling it as how they see it. If the players use that as an excuse they should give the game up.
Bakkies
Guest
Throw in Bancroft dropping Root on the 4th evening session. All those let offs and couldn't make Australia pay.
Disco Stu
Roar Rookie
One could argue that the 24 hours the lost The Ashes happened in Bristol a few months back. Not that Stokes the cricketer would necessarily have been the difference, but the collective negativity from press, pundits and players after Stokes was ruled out must have made an impact.
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Well, now I've heard it all. Root got the call at the toss in Adelaide right? Very Funny! I can remember the crowd laughing when Bob Willis did a similar thing at Adelaide Oval a few years back - won the toss and bowled - that was the day Greg Chappell made his only Test century on AO. England only remained in the AOTest because Smith failed to enforce the Follow On (and utilise the most conducive conditions for swing ... under lights). It seems to me that Root is fixated on being "different" but will likely be remembered as being "odd" and a poor captain!
Bakkies
Guest
They lost the series on the last day in Adelaide. They should have been six down at stumps on day 4 had Smith not dropped catches. Root going within two overs on the fifth morning was game, set and match. A partnership would have Smith rattled for ideas while the ball got old. As they say with this England batting lineup five down, all out.
paul
Guest
Sorry Dave, have to disagree. I think England lost the Ashes on days 2 & 3 in the First Test. The Poms had batted for well over a day against the vaunted Australian bowling attack and then had Australia 7 for 209. On paper, they should have shot out the tail for maybe another 30 or 40 runs, giving them a lead over 50, but more importantly a psychological advantage. That's when Cummins got together with Smith and took the game away from England who had the advantage of a second new ball. By the end of the innings, Australia had a lead, had won the first really important "moment" in the Series, and showed spine in the batting that had been missing. England then went on to lose the next two "moments", first when they batted so badly in the second innings then when Bancroft and Warner scored 173 unbeaten.
Tony Tea
Guest
England only had to draw the series to retain the Ashes, and therefore came here with the aim of minimising damage, hoping for an Australian collapse and maybe pinching a Test to stop Australia taking a two Test lead. Defensive mindset cricket rarely wins in Australia because on the benign Australian pitches the Aussie batsmen rarely fall over.
JamesH
Roar Guru
They bowled too short in the first innings in Adelaide, I agree. Overton put them to shame. However, they also batted too poorly in Adelaide themselves to win the match. Even if they had somehow scrapped their way to victory, going to Sydney 2-1 down wouldn't have changed much. They were absolutely destroyed at the SCG so it would have been a 3-1 loss. And if we're talking about 'what ifs'... what if Smith had held onto that catch from Cook when he was on 60 at the MCG? It could have been 5-0 again.
El Loco
Roar Rookie
If England came here with the belief that wins were unlikely at two venues before they'd even started then the day they lost the Ashes was before they left Heathrow.