Steven Smith's twin centuries at Edgbaston, double at Manchester, and stunning catch at The Oval

Out of seven times, only once did Steven Smith not touch at least fifty this Ashes. A mountain of 774 runs at 110.57 with three hundred and fifties each was begun constructing at Edgbaston, where he got Australia out of the rut with 144 in the first innings and consolidated their position with 142 in the second. At Old Trafford, he set about expanding it with 211 and 82, while at The Oval came his lowest scores of 80 and 23, and included a screamer at second slip while flying to his right. But Smith's bullet train, after smashing 92 at Lord's, could be halted in the middle of the series only by a ferocious bouncer from...

Bouncer felling Smith and ruling him out of Headingley

...none other than Jofra Archer. The much-hyped Test debut finally arrived in the second Test after injury had ruled James Anderson out and that debut had an instant impact on the visitors. Though they escaped with a draw despite late wickets on the final evening, Archer’s debut not only brought a combined match haul of 5 for 91 but also had a much greater effect on Australia’s plans. Smith was struck on the neck by a bouncer and sent back and though he returned to bat, Marnus Labuschagne became the first concussion substitute in international cricket by the time Australia batted second; and with late concussion symptoms, Smith was ruled out of the Headingley Test as a precaution.

Ben Stokes' unparalleled heroics at Headingley

He arrived with 218 still to get for victory and left with 135 of those hammered in heroic style. Ben Stokes single-handedly guided England to their most memorable win after Edgbaston 2005, helping the hosts come from behind in a game that would eventually become the Greatest Ever Test. With 73 required and only Jack Leach for company, Stokes talked sixes after sixes to first give Headingley hope before turning that into expectation. It was to be a day of near misses - some hits barely crossed the boundary, Nathan Lyon messed up a runout and Stokes was not given lbw after Australia had burned both their reviews - but his reverse-swept six earlier off Lyon was signal enough of what was to come. With a crashing cover drive, Stokes sealed a series-leveling win as England hunted down their highest successful chase in Tests after crashing for 67 in the first innings.

Retaining the Ashes at Old Trafford

After being shocked at Headingley, Australia hit back through who else but Steven Smith at Old Trafford. Returning to the side after missing out on the previous match, he hit 211 to help the visitors post 497 before the three pacers - including Mitchell Starc, who was slotted in for the first time in the series - combined for all ten wickets to finish England for 301. Feasting on the first innings lead of 196, Australia got down to business with Smith leading the charge again. An attacking 82 featuring 11 boundaries was complemented well by cameos across the middle order, as England was set 383. With eight wickets to take on the final day, the job was completed only with time running out - Australia retained the Ashes on English soil for the first time since 2001.

Stuart Broad vs David Warner

101 deliveries bowled, 15 runs scored and 7 times dismissed. In no time, David Warner's dismissal by Stuart Broad from around the wicket had become a routine for the series - both for the spectators as well as the scorers. Seven times out of ten was Warner castled by Broad, thus equalling the record of most bowler vs batsman dismissals in a single series. Warner's comeback to the longest format following the Cape Town disaster was kept sour, as at Old Trafford, he first bagged a first pair in Test match cricket and capped off three ducks in a row. He touched double figures only twice in ten opportunities to tally just 95 runs, with even Chris Woakes and Usman Khawaja, who batted thrice and four times less than Warner respectively, outscoring him in the Ashes.

England squaring the series at The Oval

It did not win the series but did earn the best possible result. England squared the series with a 135-run victory at The Oval, as the Ashes was drawn for the first time since 1972. Tim Paine became only the second Australian captain to bowl first and lose a Test in England - 14 years on and forever, the first will never be forgotten - as despite blooding in Mitchell Marsh, who responded with a career-best 5 for 46, Australia fell away on conceding a 69-run lead. A string of dropped catches and not using DRS when it mattered helped England and Joe Denly in particular, who got 94 in the second innings. Though Matthew Wade again showed there was more to Australia's batting other than Steven Smith, his aggressive 117 went in vain with the rest of the batting collapsing to Stuart Broad and Jack Leach, who shared eight wickets.