Ben Stokes’s declaration on day one was a mistake but it was not a fatal one and a lack of match practice really undid them
A close finish in Test cricket is an Agatha Christie, a whowunnit with umpteen suspects. When the difference between the sides is slim, you can attribute it to almost anything: Usman Khawaja’s 13-hour vigil, Pat Cummins’s cool-headed cameo, Ben Stokes’s befuddling declaration, Jonny Bairstow’s frustrating fumbles, Nathan Lyon’s eight wickets – or a pitch that was tailor-made for him.
The old farts among the fans were too quick to blame it on the boogie. It wasn’t Bazball wot lost it: it was Bazball that, as so often, defeated the draw.
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