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Your move, Joe. For the first time, this Ashes series has a team in front. Joe Root’s opposite number, Steve Smith, has played an innings of grit and glory to put Australia there. Root is still at the crease – despite a mighty blow on the noggin – and looks the only lad likely to keep England’s head above water. It is, just about: they have eight wickets in hand and their lead is seven. On his way from the field after the day’s final ball, Root turned to Smith, nodded and congratulated him on the innings that turned – and in years to come, you sense, will define – this match.

Smith’s was an innings worthy of plenty more than numerical analysis and we will get there, but first, let’s run the numbers: Smith scored 141 quite brilliant runs against 326 largely very well-delivered balls across 512 utterly shattering and personally sapping minutes. That’s more than eight and a half hours, nine different partners, and a few thousand fidgets. CricViz said there were 16 false shots across those 326 balls, but we’re damned if we can recall more than a couple.

Mark Stoneman came through a spell where every ball, be it a Pat Cummins rocket or a Lyon tweaker, felt like it could turn him over. Stoneman is many things, but brave and unflustered top the list. Mitchell Starc stung one into Root’s grille and removed his stem-guard as the Gabba crowd and Australia delivered the roar – and the raw aggression England came here expecting. Root and Stoneman survived – and now the former must match Smith’s majesty.

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