Brainless Harry Brook personifies England’s foolish approach to Mitchell Starc

Sadly for Brook, this is becoming a pattern, with preposterous decisions derailing England’s progress at the most pivotal juncture of Test matches. In the series decider against India at the Oval, he had done all the hard graft, making a wonderful century, only to chip the ball to mid-off and set his side on the path to defeat by six runs. In Perth, he eased to a 50 courtesy of a series of luscious cover drives, before gloving Doggett to Carey down the leg side. This latest brain fade leapt straight into the canon of doltish Brook dismissals, indicating a disregard both for Starc’s threat and the delicate situation of the game.

Sometimes, you have to remind yourself that this is a figure who has scored a triple century, one of only six in England’s Test history, and who is still ranked as the second best batsman in the world. Even in this abbreviated performance, he produced evidence of these gifts. Treating one Doggett bouncer with contempt, he backed away and somehow scythed it behind point for four. The flipside of this fiery temperament is that he also tends to go down in flames. It is reaching the stage where you question whether Brook is even conscious of the wider picture when he makes such daft choices, or if he is sticking too literally to the Bazball precept that self-expression is all that matters.

The ridiculous scoop attempt just about pushed Matt Prior over the edge. “I just can’t get my head around it,” he muttered. “You’ve got to take responsibility. Have intent, but play the percentages. I just can’t get on board with a shot like that.” Neither could Stuart Broad, who was just as nonplussed at how Brook eventually unravelled, failing to show sufficient respect to Starc and immediately exposing Stokes, out both times in the first Test to the same bowler, to the onslaught. “This is Ashes cricket, and you’re too good of a player to gift Australia your wicket,” he lamented. “But it just feels like some of his dismissals are freebies.”

Starc in the twilight: this was always the peril for England, confronting a bowler with 81 wickets in this format. And yet when the moment came, they looked ill-prepared. In fairness, Brook was far from the only player culpable. Will Jacks, under huge pressure with the team six down, took one absent-minded swipe at Starc before nicking to Smith off the very next ball. The tail-enders were also clumsy in dealing with a fired-up Starc when they should have been playing to protect Joe Root, the hero of the hour. Gus Atkinson top-edged a pull shot, drawing a stunning catch from a back-pedalling Carey, before Brydon Carse made one of Starc’s more routine balls appear world-class, wafting and drawing a decent grab from the keeper to his right.