England sowed the seeds for Ashes defeat before first Test had even started

For England, there is no margin for error now having been thrashed at Edgbaston.

Much of the build-up to this series focused on their excellent recent record in ‘fortress’ Birmingham — and Australia’s poor memories there — and the importance of the First Test.

Not many Ashes series are won by the team that lose the opener. In the past 50 years, England’s two series wins in those circumstances are the miracles of 1981 and 2005, the ultimate series. That is the territory in which England find themselves.

In the dying overs, the cackling and targeted chatter from close fielders on the stump mic became ever more audible and the touring Australian fans — all dressed in identical caps and jerseys — became louder than the Barmy Army for once.

It was a reminder that Australia never take a backward step when on top.

It was achingly familiar to the tour of 2017/18, as indeed the whole game had been: England carving promising positions but failing to hammer them home; Steve Smith making hay against a homogenous attack, then Australia’s brilliant bowlers blowing England away.

Australia, without defeat in the past seven Test meetings between the sides, seem to have a mental hold over some Englishmen they have met regularly, and a technical hold over others.

England coach Trevor Bayliss felt his team lost the match in the second innings, when “we took a decent lead, but even our bowling wasn’t quite what we would have liked”.

The visitors moved into an impenetrable lead, then Nathan Lyon got to work.

“He got a lot of balls in the right spot and we saw what happened when you do that,” said Bayliss. Simple really.

But when the England brain trust allow the dust to settle they should probably reflect that the seeds of defeat were sown long before the incomparable Smith came out to bat.

England suffered a mighty dose of bad luck, losing James Anderson eight overs into the match, which meant their “decent” lead of 90 was not that decent and it was criminal to allow Australia to wriggle to 284 from 122 for eight. Australia would not have won this game, especially in such thumping, potentially damaging fashion, if England had the variety and skill to mop up the tail on the first afternoon.

So the vital lesson England must learn from Edgbaston is that they cannot select a bowler — Anderson, Jofra Archer, or anyone else — short of match practice, or about whose fitness they are not certain, in a five-man attack again. That should be official policy.

Joe Root was robust in his defence of the decision to select Anderson, calling it a “freak” situation, but did say that “with Jofra, we’re in a slightly different situation where he’ll have played a lot of cricket in between and we’ll have a clearer idea of where he’s at”.

Selector James Taylor is in Sussex today watching Archer bowl for the Seconds, and if he comes through, he seems almost certain to play. England are right not to panic when they name their squad at the end of the week.

Only one other change is required for now, with either Sam Curran or Jack Leach coming in for Moeen Ali, depending on the Lord’s surface, which England will want to be green.

Moeen presents a calm front, but Australia, and particularly Lyon — it is now nine dismissals in 10 innings — panics him. He needs removing from the firing line.

Joe Denly and Jonny Bairstow are the others in trouble, but both should stay for now; Bairstow, because he has credit in the bank and buckets of spirit, and Denly because, as Rory Burns showed, the guy who has seen a bit is more likely to succeed than the guy who has not.

Denly could drop out for a sixth bowler if England are not certain about Archer’s ability to deliver 20 overs.

Moeen, Bairstow and Jos Buttler look weary, but any suggestions of a World Cup hangover must be shelved.

On Sunday, it is four weeks since that great day. A few more days’ rest will not do them any harm. When England return to Lord’s, they will have to draw on that experience rather than their Ashes record against Australia there, which reads seven wins (two of them in 2009 and 2013), 13 draws and 15 defeats.

Touring teams, none more than Australia, fire themselves up for a visit to the home of cricket, where they will be able to unleash Mitchell Starc.

He took nine wickets there in two World Cup matches and enjoys the slope. Look at the history books, and England are in miracle territory.

But many of these players have provided them with one miracle this summer, so why not another?