“Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust. If Lillee don’t get you, Thomson must”. This was coined 40 years ago when Ian Chappell’s Australians were steamrolling Mike Denness’ England during the 1974-75 Ashes Down Under. The shoe is on the other foot now and England supporters could well be saying, “Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust. If Anderson don’t get you, Broad must”.

Cricket is known to throw up miraculous results, but England winning the Ashes, however unbelievable it may appear to their skipper Alastair Cook, is no miracle. To the pundits, Australia lost it rather than England won them. Michael Clarke’s men getting bowled out for 60 on Day One before the luncheon interval at the recent Trent Bridge bears testimony to this line of thinking.