Having already been on the end of two heavy defeats, English morale was low as the two sides moved to Perth for the third Test match. Events there did little to lighten the moods for the tourists.
They started the match brightly, restricting Australia to just 244 after the latter won the toss and batted. Michael Hussey made an unbeaten 74, but Monty Panesar (5-92) and Steve Harmison (4-48) seemed to put England on top.
The England batting though proved even more fragile. They were dismissed for only 215, with the Australian bowlers sharing the wickets among them.
Australia then showed how it should be done by making 527/5 their second innings before declaring. Matthew Hayden made 92 and captain Ricky Ponting 75 before both Hussey and Michael Clarke made centuries.
However, it was the innings of wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist that was to live long in the memory. He had scored a duck in his first innings, but when he came out to bat with the scoreboard on 365/5, he had the luxury of knowing his side were already well placed.
His innings began with a streaky boundary, but got into his stride soon, and the ball began to fly off his bat to all parts of the ground. He raced to his 50 in just 40 balls, his fastest Test half century, but that was just an hors d’oeuvre for what was to come.
He began to open his shoulders and two monster sixes followed. Then came two more, and one over from Harrison went for 12. He was denied the chance of taking away Viv Richards’ fastest ever Test century when Matthew Hoggard bowled a wide, but he reached three figures soon afterwards. His century had taken just 57 balls, the second-fastest at that time. When he left the field soon afterwards, the crowd were in raptures.
There was no coming back for England from that. Set 557, Alastair Cook made 116 and Ian Bell 87, but they were all out for 350, losing by 206 runs.
Hussey was named Player of the Match, but it was Gilchrist’s performance that is best remembered from that match.