Remember when I said that the first Test of an Ashes series, or even the first day of a first Test, was always epic? In the first Test of the 2010 Vodafone Ashes, Andrew Strauss fell third ball and Peter Siddle celebrating a roaring 26th birthday with a hat-trick. It wasn't enough to win the game, as England sealed a draw with a massive third innings total, bringing the Ashes to Adelaide and the series still at 0-0. England took the most from the draw, having scored a massive 517 for just the loss of one wicket, and knowing that they had already gone one better than the first game of their last, disastrous tour. Australia went to the second Test under pressure to force a result if they were to stand any chance of bringing the Ashes back Down Under. 

But the first day of the Adelaide Test would be no less surprising than what we got in Brisbane. Led by a marvelous spell of bowling by James Anderson (and thanks to some sharp fielding from Jonathan Trott), Australia had lost Simon Katich - and crucially, Ricky Ponting for a golden duck - in the first over. Michael Clarke soon followed, and before you could blink, the hosts had lost more wickets than they had scored runs - 2/3. It was their worst start to a Test in 60 years. Shane Watson buckled down and took Australia to lunch with no further damage, bringing up a vital 50 in the progress. He didn't last much longer, becoming Anderson's third victim. Marcus North, already under pressure for his spot, fell to Steven Finn, and it was again Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin who had to dig Australia out of a hole. While they didn't manage a 307-run partnership this time, Hussey fell for a valiant 93, and Haddin for a gritty 56, as Graeme Swann picked up two wickets and Anderson claimed a fourth to bowl Australia out for 245 - 15 runs less than England's weak 1st innings effort in the Brisbane test.

And, like the Brisbane test, Andrew Strauss fell early in his team's reply, shouldering arms to a Doug Bollinger delivery that stayed straight. Alistair Cook, like Mike Hussey before him, continued his excellent form, as did Jonathan Trott, both of who scored their 50s (Cook passing 50 for the third consecutive time)  before Ryan Harris ended the 173-run partnership with Trott's wicket. Cook and Kevin Pietersen put on another century partnership (175), Cook scoring another ton and eventually getting out for 148 - but not before taking England to 351, already leading by 106. Another century partnership followed, this one between Pietersen and Paul Collingwood. Pietersen eventually reached his century while Collingwood was out for 42 to Shane Watson. England's fourth consecutive 100-run partnership followed, this one between Pietersen and Ian Bell. KP went on to reach his double century and posted his best Test score, 227, before falling with the score on 568 - England were leading by 323 by that point, and Strauss let Bell get a half-century of his own before declaring at 620/5, leaving Australia 375 runs in the gutter.

Fortunately for Australia, there was to be no nightmare start like their first innings, as Simon Katich and Shane Watson started comfortably. They took their team to 84 before Katich fell for 43. Ricky Ponting avoided a king pair, but fell for only 9, and Australia were 98/2, still trailing by 277. Watson made his second half-century of the match, but couldn't go on, becoming the 3rd wicket to fall. Rain, Michael Clarke (under enormous pressure) and Michael Hussey helped slow the damage and England's momentum. Clarke and Hussey took Australia to the last over of day 4, before Clarke fell to Kevin Pietersen for 80, and England had their tails up again. Australia started the last day 137 runs adrift with six wickets left, and their chances of saving the game evaporated when Hussey (after making his third consecutive 50), Haddin and North all fell in quick succession - Australia slumped from 238/4 to 286/8; Ryan Harris went for a king pair and Australia lost three wickets with the score on 286. Graeme Swann wiped up the tail, taking 5 wickets in the process to bowl Australia out for 304, and giving England victory by an innings and 71 runs.

The last time England played in Adelaide, they declared at 551/6, and thanks to Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne, still lost by a comfortable margin. The 2006 Ashes tour was nightmarish on all levels for England, but nothing hurt - and humiliated - quite like the Adelaide capitulation. This year, Adelaide will be remembered for very different reasons by the two teams. James Anderson's four wickets gave Australia a taste of their own medicine, before Australia's attack - minus Mitchell Johnson - again proved not only ineffective, but inefficient and toothless: in England's last two innings at bat, they've 1,137 runs scored for the loss of only 6 wickets. Alistair Cook now averages 150 in his last three innings, Kevin Pietersen and Cook have both posted career best innings, and only Michael Hussey (averaging 133.33 this series) and Shane Watson (46.25) can hold their head up for Australia. In both Tests, the Aussies have looked demoralized. There are still three Tests left, and if Australia don't win at least two of them, Ricky Ponting's team will be will be the first Australian side in 24 years to lose the Ashes on home soil. After Brisbane, Australia were already out of answers. Now, they're running out of time.