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What England can still hope is for their last four wickets to carry on batting until the heavens open.

England captain Alastair Cook cautioned against taking Bell’s comments at full face value, and was clear that he would encourage his colleague to stay on for the challenges ahead.

Meanwhile, Cook could not hide his delight at winning the series 3-2 after losing 5-0 in Australia in 2013-14.

It was a charm, however, completely lacking from the 2015 Ashes, which ended with England winning the five-match series 3-2 despite Australia’s innings and 46-run win in the concluding Test at The Oval on Sunday.

However, with Root galvanising the middle order and crop of talented players emerging, this team look poised to avoid the pitfalls that have led to previous England Ashes winners soon falling apart. “The boys did as I asked, it was a test of our character and we came...

While the final test is a victory lap for England, there might be more at stake for the beleaguered Australians.

Steve Smith has described being named as the next Australia Test captain as an “honour and privilege” – and hopes to send incumbent Michael Clarke out on a high in his final appearance next week.