This time last year, the thought of Australia's cricketers reaching Sydney with a 4-0 Ashes margin in their pockets seemed about as likely as that of the long discarded Chris Rogers making a century in the Boxing Day Test
Alastair Cook insisted he was "100% wanting to carry on" as England captain but was obliged to defend his senior players, the side's coaches and his own position in the aftermath of defeat in Melbourne
Mitchell Johnson sees no reason to apologise for his verbal assault on Kevin Pietersen even after discovering a child was wandering across the sightscreen when he pulled away
At 35, Simon Katich was pensioned off after an Ashes series. At 35, Chris Rogers was recalled for one. He is making the most of his unexpected second chance.
All the qualities that once rendered Andy Flower the perfect man for the job - his intensity, his attention to detail and his demanding personality - have now become the reasons he needs to go
Ricky Ponting never bowl first in a Test again after Edgbaston 2005 and Michael Clarke knew it was a gamble when he did it Melbourne, but was able to relax after Australia's big victory
So much has clicked for Michael Clarke and his players, even on the occasions when things briefly looked like they might go right for England instead
Australia's coach Darren Lehmann has conceded Ryan Harris is a doubtful starter for the Sydney Test, while Shane Watson's position could come under scrutiny if he is unable to bowl
Nathan Lyon took 5 for 50, including his 100th Test wicket, as he and Mitchell Johnson inspired another England collapse to set up a chase of 231 for a 4-0 series lead
Kevin Pietersen has blamed England's schedule for the side's disappointing performance in Australia
He has gone under the radar for much of his career but Nathan Lyon is now Australia's joint-leading Test wicket-taker in 2013 and a fixture in the team
Lulled into a high-risk counterattacking approach, England squandered an opportunity to finally take control of a Test match in this series
If it's Ashes cricket, there will be ego clashes
Australia's batsmen demonstrated familiar frailty as they batted second for the first time in the series and lurched to 9 for 164, still 91 behind
Watching and hearing a six hit at a ground is a visceral experience, even in an age when sixes are the norm, not the exception
Stuart Broad chose to play at the MCG with the Ashes already lost, despite a badly bruised right foot, and he is still carrying England's fight
Despite the 3-0 scoreline and the performance of the bowlers in this series, Australia's top order failures should be taken as a major warning to their future success
Anyone looking for a tasty Ashes subplot needed to be at the MCG nets at tea time on the second day of the Boxing Day Test
Three years ago there was plenty of noise at the MCG when Mitchell Johnson ran into bowl, but for very different reasons to the atmosphere that greeted him this time
Supporters of both sides were out in full force on day two at the 'G
A world record crowd of 91,092 at the MCG sat with admirable patience as a tentative England nudged and scraped against Australia's unrelenting bowlers on Boxing Day
England's most flamboyant batsman played an innings that showcased his less-obvious qualities and was more reminiscent of the man whose run tally he surpassed on day one in Melbourne
The MCG has reported a world-record attendance for a day of Test cricket, with 90,831 spectators officially accounted for during the final session on Boxing Day
The spectators, like the bowlers, had to earn their rewards on the opening day in Melbourne but, once again, the pressure built by Australia's attack kept them on top
Shane Watson's chances of a rare injury-free summer suffered a blow when he left the field with soreness in his right groin on Boxing Day
A Test match generally trundles along at a sedate pace, but it is also besieged by moments of acute instability. The ones who take advantage of it win
Rarely have we seen turnaround like the one Australia have just effected, but the gulf between the two teams is not as vast as the scoreline might suggest
Alastair Cook believes England's fresh start extends beyond team selection and offers opportunities to improve on all fronts
Stats preview to the Boxing Day Ashes Test at the MCG
Michael Clarke has insisted he is living in the moment as Australia's Ashes-winning captain rather than looking beyond the Boxing Day Test, because he knows how quickly perceptions can change as the result of success or failure
England have been hammered in this series, but that doesn't mean the players and coaches are not good enough anymore
We will all miss Graeme Swann, but I want to play for another five years and I'm sure we have the talent to bounce back
ESPNcricinfo's preview of the fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England at the MCG
