Australia expected an Ashes battle but England are gift-wrapping this Test

Usman Khawaja raises his bat to celebrate his half-century, with Australia on the way to putting the Test out of reach. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/Reuters

Touring England is supposed to be hard. There is always something to surprise you. Blameless days followed by mornings when the ball suddenly seams and swings. Sudden Arctic afternoons to shock players from warmer climes. Scattergun rain delays that send you off the field and drag you back, like: I’m sorry, did I break your concentration?

In this context, matches can surge against a visiting team, backed by a crowd getting on top as a session breaks away. Mark Butcher at Headingley 2001. Ben Stokes at Headingley 2019. Ian Botham at Headingley 1981. Take your pick.