England became the first team to lose a day-night Test after posting more than 300 in the first innings and the only consolation is they managed to avoid an innings defeat, which was on the cards at the start of day four when they resumed six down and 43 behind making Australia bat again.
For all the failures of the bowling in this Test, and it plumbed new depths for this team, it is the batsmen who have lost two Tests in a row. England can look at dropped catches, and those did not help, but the first-innings 334 was under par and over too quickly, allowing Australia to begin their reply in the sunshine and control the game.
The feeble collapse on the third evening finished England off and the over-riding disappointment is the sense of what might have been on Sunday had they batted more securely under the lights and given themselves a chance. It was a feeling reinforced by seeing a head-banded Archer and Gus Atkinson bowl lightning quick with the new ball in the artificial light and land a couple of blows. Smith said to Archer, “you only bowl quick when nothing is going on”, which led to a face-to-face stand-off, but England were really in no position to throw their weight around. They had to just take it.
