Only three days had gone of this final Test and already a frantic, adrenalin-charged match, full of thrust, counter-thrust, deeds brave and foolhardy, was hurtling towards a conclusion. As the shadows from the giant floodlight towers stretched across the Sydney Cricket Ground, England, with nothing to lose but the series and their dignity, threw everything short of the team bus at the Australian bowling.
It was positive and at times downright foolhardy stuff. Alec Stewart and Mark Butcher were stumped giving the charge to leg-spinners on a track which, with two scheduled days to run, was already showing massive turn.
But through a thrilling assault on the new ball (the mighty Glenn McGrath conceded 26 runs from four fruitless overs) they had given the innings its impetus with a partnership of 52, the highest England opening stand of the series. Having bowled out Australia shortly after tea in their second innings, England had been asked to make 287 to win on a ground where the Australians themselves, a dozen or so years ago, made 260 for four to beat New Zealand (a figure not exceeded before or since) but not against a twirling trio of gifted wrist spinners and a medium-pace offspinner.
Nailing jelly to the ceiling would be easy by comparison. With the departure of Butcher and Stewart, Nasser Hussain and Mark Ramprakash, living on their wits and chancing their arm, took the score to 104 for two by the close.
This, though, had been a day where genius walked hand in hand with controversy. The genius came from Michael Slater who, on his home territory and in front of the largest third-day crowd here for a quarter of a century, played an innings that frankly defied belief.
He might have been batting on a different pitch, against different - and indifferent - bowling rather than on this capricious offering, against bowling that was never less than wholehearted and fielding that bordered on the demonic.
The figures, incredible as they are, hardly do him justice: in 271 minutes before he was eighth out, cutting at Dean Headley and caught at the wicket, Slater made 123 of Australia's total of 184. Eleven boundaries were struck with withering power; three times Peter Such's offspin disappeared for six, twice with astounding strokes over extra cover, against both textbook and spin.
Of the remainder of the Australian order only Mark Waugh, with 24, reached double figures. The rest made 33 between them. Slater's contribution represented a staggering 66.85 per cent of his side's total. Yet again Slater had wrested the initiative from England at a time when they were striving to get back into a match that seemed beyond salvation. This was his 11th Test century, his seventh against England and his third of the series. Each of those this winter - Brisbane, Adelaide and now here - has been in the second innings, when Australia have had a first-innings lead of at least three figures. Slater has twisted the knife maliciously.
At the other end batsmen were being chiselled out first by Gough's brio, then by Headley's spirit and finally by Such's spin.
Catches were being held where earlier in the winter they were being frittered: Mark Taylor at first slip, Mark Waugh to another fantastic effort from Ramprakash, this time high to his right at square leg; Darren Lehmann taken straight off the face of the bat by John Crawley at silly point; another by Ramprakash in the deep to get rid of Shane Warne as he was beginning to slog dangerously.
Four wickets to Headley, including Steve Waugh, batting at seven because of a hamstring injury, and finally Slater, gave him eight in the match, while Such took five for 81.
Controversy dominated the morning, however. When he had made only 35 Slater, non-striker to Mark Waugh, appeared to have been beaten by Headley's direct hit as the pair attempted a second run to deepish midwicket.
Third umpire, Simon Taufel, presented with inconclusive video evidence, had no option but to give the batsman the benefit of the doubt.
The cost to England was devastating. The ICC next month might be better employed considering the compulsory installation of square-on video cameras, such as employed in South Africa, rather than debating whether to whittle Ashes series down to three matches. This winter has already given two fingers to the latter idea.
England were dealt an early blow on the resumption when Mark Ramprakash was quickly tempted into driving outside off stump by Glenn McGrath to Mark Taylor, who, in making the catch, surpasses Allan Border's world record of 156 Test catches.
Ramprakash, who failed to add to his overnight score, was swiftly followed to the pavilion by replacement Graeme Hick, bowled by Stuart MacGill for seven, leaving England on 136 for four.
