BIG MOMENT FOR THE MAGICIAN: Shane Warne castles England opener Andrew Strauss to pick up his 700th Test wicket. -- PHOTO: AP

MELBOURNE: As the 700 moment came, when Andrew Strauss stretched forward and did not quite reach a high-flighted, curving and shimmering leg break, Shane Warne's celebration was almost dignified, even though a Boxing Day record crowd of 89,155 roared.

True, he ran, finger raised and circling above his head, until he found a group of his team-mates to hug, and stood with the ball held high above his head to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd — and the needs of the photographers — but considering the build-up, the endless deluge of forecast, preview and considered analysis, it was not as in your face as we feared.

Malcolm Slater used to run further to celebrate a century, Pat Cash climbed higher to proclaim his Wimbledon success and, for a sports-mad nation that stops work when a horse race is run, it was a sober, touching occasion. After all, Warne stands alone on this enormous mark, he has changed the perception of spin bowling and on his own made such figures possible.

Intelligent bowler

Before he threw off three kilos, turned from beach bum to intelligent bowler, cricket was descending into a maelstrom of unthinking speed bowling, crude bouncers and sledging.

Warne brought back cricket as the thinkers have understood it from Wilfred Rhodes to Richie Benaud to Mike Brearley. The game owes him that debt. It is as well that we will remember the day for his feat since England was appalling.

Andrew Flintoff won the toss and batted once the showers cleared. Alastair Cook only showed his promise, Ian Bell his ability to struggle and Paul Collingwood that he is in a rut of concentrated defence; but they were not the most disappointing stars on view.

Glenn McGrath demonstrated that he is right to quit because, as one of his predecessors said "the elastic has gone." Five years ago McGrath would have bowled this England out on this pitch as he did at Lord's in 1997. Then there was Flintoff. He must have been told on his way to the middle that Michael Vaughan will be captain in the one-day series since he played the 31-ball innings of a distracted man.

Wiped from memory

This tour has destroyed many England reputations not least Flintoff's whose excellent start as captain in India has been wiped from the memory. Perhaps he was upset by Kevin Pietersen's impetuous dash to get off the mark, which forced Flintoff to plunge heavily for safety.

He was fifth out at 122, having set his side an example it could not ignore and leaving Pietersen to bat with the weakest tail in memory.

This debacle was simply an extension of that lack of self-belief; it is 0-5 waiting to happen. After 16 overs without a wicket, McGrath made Sajid Mahmood his 556th victim, Steve Harmison slogged a Warne leg break to mid on, Pietersen was caught in the deep and that willing night watchman Matthew Hoggard, demoted to No.11, and Monty Panesar added 13 before Warne accepted more crowd adulation when he had Panesar caught which gave him five for 39, on an English green top in an English spring temperatures.

I thought England might field in sackcloth — it has lost the Ashes — after eight went for 58 that had nothing to do with pitch, rain or breeze. "I felt good but really I just did a job," Warne said. Brian Lara was watching. "He has an ability to produce that magic ball," Lara said. "Why is he retiring? He is younger than I am. Surely he had another couple of years in him."

Flintoff found a way back into our affections with two wickets off successive deliveries as Australia made 48 for two, but even the bravest dare not think this position can be translated into a consolation victory.

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