I took my seat in the Gabba lower tier, a few rows back from the boundary. The crowd was somewhere between paralytically drunk and wantonly feral.

After the euphoria, the return to Planet Earth. If the first day at the Gabba was all about Joe Root, the second was a wearily familiar tale of Australian batsmen grinding English bowlers into the local dirt.

Get all the latest scores and updates as Ben Stokes's England team try to avenge their loss in Perth and avoid a disastrous start to the series.

It was a difficult first session in the field. Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith put down a simple catch from Travis Head, off the bowling of Archer, and that seemed to suck the life out of England's bowlers.

The news will send a shiver through the Australian camp, coming on the back of a string of damaging injuries to top-line stars.

The England veteran silenced the critics with a dominant century - but a well known Aussie newspaper wasn't letting up with its criticism.

Cricket fans were left short-changed at the Gabba after the Aussies made a stunning call at the toss - and plenty went online to complain.

Grace Hayden, 23, took to social media on Thursday to thank the England batter after his majestic 135 on day one of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane rescued England.

The Aussies were coming back onto the field after the first break in play when eagle-eyed viewers spotted Head engaging in the off-colour act.

England legend Stuart Broad was unable to hide his disbelief as Ben Stokes' side endured a nightmare start to the second Ashes Test, before embarking on a recovery in Brisbane.

Christmas is approaching, the nights are drawing in, and what better way to warm up your braincells than with a bit of Ashes trivia?