Less than an hour into play on the third morning, after Steve Smith had chalked up his second century of the series, the brass section of the Barmy Army on the western hill here began playing the theme tune to the Great Escape.
Though Australia were three down and still 180 runs in arrears at this stage, it was pitch-perfect in its reflection of creeping English dread. This was already shaping up to be a day of flagellation at the hands of the mighty Australian captain, whose blade had looked so thick and utterly impenetrable while chipping off the eight runs he required for Test century No22.
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