After the ecstasy of Adelaide and talk of retaining the Ashes before Christmas, comes the agony of Perth where the most comprehensive of defeats has left England to go back to the drawing board.
Here's how Andrew Strauss and his well-beaten troops rated:
Andrew Strauss – 5: Looked to have won a good toss after day one and again looked in good form with the bat in the 1stinnings where he was undone by a beauty from Harris soon after reaching 50. His underuse of Swann in the second innings made his seamers tire and then was too tentative in his second knock. Now has a big job on his hands to raise spirits for Melbourne.
Alastair Cook – 5: His fall on the second morning lit the fuse for the disaster that followed – and it was a needless shot too. That said, Cook was due a quiet match after the heights he scaled in Brisbane and Adelaide.
Jonathan Trott – 4: All at sea in the 1st innings and looked like getting out to every ball. Battled well second time around, but yet again a poor shot led to his dismissal. Australians will be pleased that Trott isn't super-human after all.
Kevin Pietersen – 2: From ecstasy to agony and from hero to zero after his test best 227 in Adelaide. There was no shame in his first-innings dismissal but the airy waft to give Hilfenhaus his first wicket since the first over of the series was unforgivable. And KP knew it too - there will be no spins in a lamborghini this time.
Paul Collingwood – 5: This was never going to be the pitch for him with his short back-lift, but Colly showed his worth to the team with that simply stunning catch to get rid of Ponting on day one and a tidy spell and the wicket of Johnson on day 3. Test career may be in its final throes unless he can rediscover some form with the bat though.
Ian Bell - 7: Once again looked England’s best batsman and the time for moving him up the order has come – indeed it probably should have happened prior to this test. Now has 11 fifties against the Aussies in 16 Tests – but still not that elusive hundred.
Matt Prior - 3: Looked like he didn’t fancy it when Siddle (we don’t reckon much of his chances in a boxing match with the Aussie quick either) attacked his body in the first innings judging by the way he kept moving out of the line. The debate whether England should play five bowlers is a non-starter when Prior is in this form with the bat.
Graeme Swann – 5: Bowled well on day one to support the seamers, but had a poor match thereafter. Was expensive when he was used in the second innings, dropped a simple chance to reprieve Siddle and his batting seems to have slipped markedly from a year or so ago. Poor in Brisbane, brilliant in Adelaide and now poor again in Perth - will the sequence continue in Melbourne?
Chris Tremlett – 8: Was England’s best bowler by some distance in his first test for over three years. Got a wicket in his first over and continued to trouble all of the Australian batsmen with his accuracy and bounce. Now has to repeat the trick on less helpful wickets in Melbourne and Sydney.
James Anderson – 6: Phileas Fogg took 80 days to go around the world – Anderson did it in five and looked unsurprisingly tired and below his best in his first spell on day one - despite getting Ponting again. Still took four wickets, was economical and wasn’t afraid to mix it verbally with the Aussies, but is assuredly off Bob Willis’ Christmas Card list.
Steve Finn – 5: A sponsorship deal with Prada awaits if Finn keeps being this expensive - 183 runs off 36 overs. But amongst the pies there were still five wickets to confirm his position as the leading wicket-taker in the series to date. Looks knackered. Will he be rested for Melbourne then?
Where next?
Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage
1st Test: England marks out of 10, 1st Test: Australia marks out of 10
2nd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10
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