The Ashes series is effectively over after just 11 days of Test cricket, with Australia securing an unassailable 3-0 lead following victory in Adelaide. Scott Boland took the final wicket as England's batters stood in formal deflation, before the players dispersed into handshakes and stump distribution.
England's failure lies not in losing to a superior Australian side, but in the nature of the defeat: losing quickly and sloppily, reflecting a basic lack of tension and discipline. The touring party has been criticised for a refusal to do homework, or even to recognise that homework exists.
Captain Ben Stokes remains an excellent, cricket-smart leader, but questions are being asked of head coach Brendon McCullum. In the moment of defeat, McCullum offered abstract ideas and admitted he did not know how to prepare his team, prompting comparisons to a category mistake in the England setup.
The England and Wales Cricket Board's powerful machine has collapsed like a castle of dust, with the series lost before the southern summer has reached its midpoint. With two Tests still to play, the focus now turns to whether England can salvage any pride from the remainder of the tour.
