This intensity would make it more necessary than ever to give the teams time to recuperate between matches. Instead, we have been denied the chance to see the best Australian XI and the best England XI face off in any one Test match, let alone all five. Australia never quite worked out their best line-up, while England’s was already compromised by the World Cup and restricted by injuries to James Anderson and two other leading fast bowlers. It’s impossible to hope for better entertainment, but the ferocity of the cricket, in such a short period, depleted both teams. Australia’s ascendancy was built on man management – the day-by-day mixing and matching of squad members - as much as their cricket. Loading Football fans would never accept finals matches to be played two or three days apart, but in cricket it has become, with no overriding necessity, normalised. Back-to-back-to-back-to-back Test matches are now accepted. Nobody seems to be asking if it has to be this way. The results for England have been ruinous. Joe Root was running on fumes since Edgbaston and, at the Oval, appeared genuinely embarrassed by the Australians’ fumbling generosity in the field.

England were never properly prepared for this series. Their hope that the self-belief generated by the World Cup would flow into the Ashes was forced on them because the Ashes were crammed in so soon after the one-day tournament. They had no other choice. This led to them selecting Jason Roy, surely the worst Ashes top-four batsman in recent memory. It led to the unflagging faith in their other World Cup heroes. It led to Ben Stokes flogging himself silly. His shoulder was injured even before he bowled 25 consecutive overs at 88mph in Leeds. These were heroic deeds, demanded by the cruelty of the scheduling. Cricketers like Stokes don’t stop trying until they break. If this was greyhound racing, you would have it banned. Stuart Broad stamped himself as England’s No.1 bowler and arguably the best of both sides in this series. Broad, who did not play in the World Cup, had prepared himself for an Ashes series. Meanwhile, Jofra Archer’s entire career played out in microcosm. When keen and healthy, he could (and will) destroy batting line-ups through pace, skill and intimidation. When conditions suited, such as when he had an uneven pitch, sideways movement and constant floodlights at Lord’s and early on at Headingley, Archer got very interested in bowling fast. When the wicket at Headingley flattened out, and when Old Trafford favoured the batsmen, Archer’s attitude threw up a May Day parade of red flags. Injury prevented James Anderson from playing any sort of meaningful role in this year's series. Credit:AP Archer has been indulged by English captains, coaches and selectors since his arrival from Barbados, everyone allowing him to do things his way in a spirit of pure gratitude and excitement. This is a particularly strong-willed individual who is playing for England because he walked out on the West Indies when they did not select him for the 2015 World Cup. You feel that there are going to be tears before bedtime, probably on the unforgiving pitches of India and the UAE, or in the cold of New Zealand - unless England choose to avert the problem and not take him. Their ultimate indulgence would be to save Archer for spicy pitches and poor light; at least they would be guaranteed maximum effort. I’m not sure if that is a terrible example or wise man management.

Australia’s indulgences have followed different lines. Justin Langer, the main force on the selection panel, prides himself in his understanding of his players. Two of his favourites have been the hard-working Cameron Bancroft and Travis Head. Both were dropped during the series after getting boxed in by the England bowlers. Langer, who sees a future for both, removed them to save their confidence from further damage. It’s an interesting application of the mercy rule, and time will tell whether it helps or hinders those players. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video David Warner was also indulged when let out of the tour games at Worcester and Derby, when different leadership might have told him to get back into the habit of batting for long periods. By the end of the Test series, Warner wasn’t cotton-wooled like Bancroft or Head, but rather left to save himself. In their bowling selections, Australia have had to constantly balance the particular needs of each match and venue against the chance of sending Patrick Cummins, Josh Hazlewood or James Pattinson back to the casualty ward. Ultimately, all of that complicated thinking ended up in the selection of Mitchell Marsh. These layers of complexity added an intrigue artificially generated by a schedule that simply asks too much of players. A lot was said, after Headingley, about how results shouldn’t depend on captains juggling their DRS tactics. You might also say that results shouldn’t depend on juggling the selections of injured and burnt-out players.