Match Analysis

Seven years on from an oddly overblown debut innings, Usman Khawaja finally attained Ashes fulfilment at the ground where it all began

Can surprising selection choices, unsuitable lines and lengths, and the dropped catch witnessed on the opening day justify the visitors' pre-series claims of preparedness?

England's inability to compete in the Ashes would once have been a matter of national shame. But the ECB's priorities lie elsewhere

The 22nd day of Ashes combat in this series stretched the mental reserves of both teams, but some players coped better than others

England keep repeating the same errors without learning or suffering the consequences

The beauty of James Vince's batting masks a consistent failure to convert starts into finishes, a flaw that would not be tolerated in a less attractive player

Australia are not the same team without a 100% fit Mitchell Starc - and that includes when Starc is actually playing

Cohesion is important in team sport and results in the Big Bash have promoted the ideal of a largely settled side

George Dobell observes a ball tampering beat-up at the MCG and not for the first time in this Ashes series doesn't like what he sees

ESPNcricinfo's ball by ball coverage captured the passions of the ball tampering debate. Here are some of the highlights

Darren Lehmann had few thoughts of an Australian victory at the start of the day and a sluggish MCG pitch did nothing to challenge that view

Alastair Cook gobbled up several more records during one of his most memorable Test knocks - suggesting there could still be plenty more to come

The surface prepared for the Boxing Day Test has come in for criticism from all sides, with only Adelaide currently succeeding in getting the balance right

Alastair Cook emerged from a troubled phase of his career to reassert the qualities that have served England well for so long

It may not be enough for Australia at the MCG but, in a team beset by batting problems, Shaun Marsh has played a key role in regaining the Ashes

His comeback innings promised something special on one hand. On the other, it left several big questions unanswered for South Africa, especially around team combination

Steve Smith continued the form of his life, as David Warner produced his best innings of the summer. It was a daunting combination for England

Chasing has been a successful trend recently in T20s but on Friday night the legspinner bucked that and helped Adelaide Strikers become the first BBL side to win after opting to bat first since 2015-16

The 26-year old made the latest addition to his repertoire of acing crunch games, with an unbeaten 148 that powered Karnataka to a first-innings lead in the Ranji Trophy semi-final

England's horror record at the WACA continued as Australia secured the Ashes with two Tests to spare