The pain. It hurts.

So depressed.

So depressed.

Some random conclusions:

- I feel bad for Ponting. He has played a couple of fantastic innings this series, he's captained fairly well, and his team has dominated statistically. And he's going to lose two Ashes series in England.

- I feel bad because this will make all those tired old hacks like Jeff Thomson, who try to remain relevant by bagging current players, feel vindicated.

- Hussey, despite his century, should be gone. He will be given one more chance. But he has not come close to performing for a long long time. Dooda says it's since Gilchrist retired. Who knows why?? Regardless, new blood.

- Clarke needs to move to no. 4 and bat with Ponting more. As it stands, he's always coming in when we're in crisis. He should be coming in to help Ponting pile on the pressure.

- Do we keep Watson at the top of the order? I think so. He will need to go and make a real score or two, but he's got the mental strength to succeed there. We need someone with arrogance and self-belief opening. And Watson has self-belief in spades.

- Johnson... Johnson... needs to break down what works for him and what doesn't. And then he needs to just bowl fast and hard. And break stumps and ribs.

- Hilfenhaus and Siddle are worth pursuing with. Clark can do a job for a while longer, but he is on the way out due to his age. Unless he proves to be as durable as Glenn McGrath, which I doubt.

- Jasn Krejza MUST be given another chance at Test level. He is an Australian spinner who TAKES WICKETS. And he can bat. He turns the ball. Give him another shot! He took 11 wickets in his first and ONLY Test. In India. Yep, the same country where Shane Warne got carted. His omission from the national squad is criminal.

- Kate mentioned this interview with Lily Allen and Aggers at the wedding today. Have a listen. I like Lily :) She knows about cricket, which is cool.

- Australia needs to study why we've failed in England these last two times, and get it right for 2013. Break it down, and prepare a team to dominate England.

- We need new blood at the selectors' table. Andrew Hilditch... needs to go. Clarke should have been promoted up the order, Clark should have been picked earlier, we should have taken another batsman to replace Hussey during the tour, Hauritz was the wrong spinner....

- This series has been the making of Michael Clarke as the next captain of Australia. He was always the anointed one, but a bit of flash rather than a gritty streetfighter. He has shown his battling qualities in these Tests and in the public's eyes he is definitely the right man to lead after Ponting goes.

- Punter will stay on and captain Australia to reclaim the Ashes in 2010/20111. That will be his final series. We'll win 5-0 again.

- Astrid found the only, only positive out of this abysmal mess. Vaughan 05: 2-1 win. Strauss 09: 2-1 win. Flintoff 06/07: 0-5 loss. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

- Speaking of 2005, where the freak was the English weather when Australia needed it??!?!? The clouds and bad light were always there when England needed them in 2005. Now, while Australia is trying to hold on for a draw, where is the bloody English summer rain!?!?

- Flintoff will be knighted at some stage. It will be the event that makes 21 million Australians vomit.

- Statistically, Australia has dominated this Test series. Eight hundreds to England's one. The three leading wicket takers. And yet we've lost two Tests.

I'm so, so unhappy.