Arrogant England’s cricket machine collapses like a castle of dust in 11 days

‘Players can be blamed for not being curious. England have deliberately taken away the outside noise, lessened the cognitive load. But something needs to come into that space.’ Photograph: Matt Turner/Shutterstock

When the moment finally came the visuals were perfect: clean lines, neat angles, figures picked out in crisp afternoon sun against the almost satirical splendour of Adelaide Oval.

Scott Boland took the final wicket to seal Australia’s unassailable 3-0 Ashes series lead, the 74th time this moment has been played out down the centuries, and immediately the white shapes converged to form a bobbing huddle. England’s batters stood in an attitude of formal deflation. The umpires began their priestly last‑things walk, framed against that huge, empty, lime‑green field.