India, Nov. 22 -- England's second innings in Perth was balanced on a knife-edge when Mitchell Starc went full at Joe Root. England were four down, the lead still fragile, and their most reliable batter was the one thing standing between Australia and a crack at the lower order. One ball late, Root's off stump was splayed, the score lurched to 76/5 with a lead of 116, and the noise inside Gabba went up a notch.

What came next, though, was just as telling as the shattered stumps. The broadcast cut away from the pitch to the commentary box and locked into Stuart Broad's face, folding into pure, helpless disappointment.

Broad reacted like a man who had felt that dismissal in his bones. As the ball clattered into the base of the off stump, ...