Radical change is needed to stop the Ashes ending up a fading museum piece

Shorter series and the introduction of a multi-format contest would help prevent the increasing frequency of dead rubbers between mismatched sides which tarnish cricket’s showpiece

Even with the Ashes gone, the inquests under way and his future under the spotlight, Joe Root was talking a good game ahead of the Sydney Test. “For us it’s a must-win game,” he said. “I know the series isn’t winnable, but it’s a good opportunity.” On the Australian side, meanwhile, Steve Smith was urging his team to turn the screw by making it 4-0. “We’ve wrapped up the series which is great, and we want to continue winning,” he said. “That’s important.”

So far so routine, although in the spirit of transparency it seems fair to point out that the above quotes were taken not from the current series, but from the corresponding mismatch in January 2018, four years ago to the day. Well, they do say one of the best things about Test cricket is its timelessness.

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