Archer’s pillow shot becomes awkward symbol of England’s Ashes nightmare

Jofra Archer arrives at the Gabba for day three of the second Ashes Test with pillow in hand. Photograph: Channel 7

There are often single images that come to sum up entire Ashes series and frequently they have been taken when no cricket was being played. Andrew Flintoff consoling Brett Lee; Shane Warne’s balcony dance; the sprinkler; Ian Botham celebrating a miracle win at Headingley, Ben Stokes doing the same; and all the way back to the Oval pitch invasion in 1926.

Maybe this year’s has been taken, with England’s campaign in danger of being summed up by the footage of Jofra Archer arriving here on Saturday clutching a pillow. The day Archer imagined and the one Australia subjected England to turned out to be very different.