While Australia has recklessly snatched at glory this summer, no team in 25 years has come to our shores better prepared or with a stronger collective focus than this England squad.
Let's be honest. Australia did its best to cook up an even contest by offering up a couple of green wickets but the Perth win was a bit like a Red Bull shot for the Australians - a quick fix not totally connected to the real world.
Spicing up decks is great fun but it is also the last chance saloon for every desperate cricket nation and a candid admission that you are lacking in orthodox skills - which Australia is.
Boycott labelled Australia's batsmen pathetic, accused Brad Haddin of extravagance and rubbished Steve Smith as No. 6 in a stinging spray after Australia made 98 in a horrendous first innings before England reached 0-157 at stumps at the MCG.
"Many of the Australian players trash-talked England after winning the last Test, but then went and shot themselves in the foot with a very poor batting performance," the former England captain said.
"It was a slow, English-style seamer's pitch, but nothing that a batsman with good technique could not have played through and scored steadily on. England bowled beautifully, pitching the ball up, kissing the top and just moving the ball enough to get the nicks.
RICKY PONTING
If the fat lady sings any louder the police will be called in to order her to stop annoying the neighbours.
Sad though it is, it’s difficult to see how next week's Sydney Test will not be his last on home soil and probably his last forever.
When he bats, the ball just seems to get to him quicker now. That happens when you are 36.
If he makes a big score in the second innings in Melbourne or at the SCG people will get all excited and say "so much for those critics."
But Mark Taylor, Allan Border and Steve Waugh all had occasional flashes of magic in their final years when their juices flowed once in a while.
It's the year round stats that tell the story of batsmen in decline and Ponting's have faded.
"I know he's copped a lot of criticism of late and no doubt he'd like to be scoring more runs, as a lot of us would be.
"But Ricky should be captain of Australia, he should be the No.3 batter for Australia.
"Runs are around the corner for him. Every single player in that change room supports him. He's too good a player to not turn it around."
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