For Joe Root, the day had begun with a plan and a purpose. An opening burst from Stuart Broad, an early
look at Moeen to see how much turn there was, a couple of early wickets, and then a slow turn of the screw.
Now, as the prospect of a first Ashes victory as captain slipped from his grasp, he chewed his cheek, scuffed
the turf, buried his face in his hands.
At one point, he picked up the ball at mid-on and, as if venting all the day’s frustrations at once, hurled it
mightily at the stumps, even though there wasn’t the remotest possibility of a run-out. This series will
define Root’s captaincy, and while it’s early yet, he probably wasn’t banking on having to give Joe Denly 14
overs on only its fourth day.
For the England supporters in the Hollies Stand, the day had begun with a skip and a song and a surge of
anticipation. For three days, they had delighted in treating Tim Paine’s Australians to their full beery
repertoire. Now, as afternoon turned to evening and with nothing but a steady diet of Australian ones and
twos to keep them entertained, came the ultimate humiliation: their yellow-clad counterparts in the
adjoining stand goading them with a chant of “it’s all gone quiet over there”. It had taken just four days for
Fortress Edgbaston to put down the drawbridge.
And now, as Matthew Wade reverse-swept his way to three figures and Denly twirled away to little effect
and the fielding began to fray and Root’s head began to droop a little, it felt for the first time like England’s
efforts this summer were beginning to catch up with them. If the Ireland game was the forgotten chunder in
the cab afterwards, then this was the real thing: the full-blown hangover, the aching limbs, the long sour
daydreams, the sense of time and hope leaking away.
The day began with England ahead of the game and scenting victory, and ended in a grim fight for survival.
This wasn’t their worst or most ignominious day in the field, not by a long chalk. But for a team already
mentally and physically running on fumes, the next 90 overs will show us what they have left in the tank.
It’s possible that they themselves don’t even know the answer yet.