It was on 20 December 2021 that England’s players say they first saw Chris Silverwood’s teeth. The setting was the away dressing room of the Adelaide Oval. England had collapsed in a heap to lose the second Ashes Test by 275 runs. And now, 806 days into his tenure, he had finally lost his temper.
It was both too little and too late. Australia had a 2-0 lead, and the level of England’s poor performance was never going to be corrected by some stern words, no matter how rare. Joe Root, the captain, had prodded Silverwood to read the riot act to the underperforming troupe. It was firm, but apparently not firm enough. The Ashes were on their way to being lost, as was Silverwood’s loose grip on this team.
