So brilliant was Joe Root on that fourth morning, Kevin Pietersen insists, with the way he ran the game and left the Australians scratching their heads and asking "what do we do?"
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"Well he's out now, he got 40," former Australian captain Ricky Ponting quipped in reply.
The Bazball debate brought to you in 13 seconds.
If this Ashes series was a prizefight, England would be introduced first. They are the challenger, even if they are on home soil. They have found a new way to play and conquer a game built on 146 years of tradition. So they would enter Lord's to something suitably new school, nodding their heads, Stuart Broad waving his arms to pump up the crowd.
Then come the world champions. They take their time, heads of Australian players bowed under baggy greens. They take their time, rather than throwing caution to the wind like the kids prefer.
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By the end of round one, Australia have a lead on the scorecards as their old-school methods win out against the reason for England's cricketing renaissance.
We still have four rounds to go.
England are still in the fight. The fears and repercussions of losing have long disappeared thanks to Bazball, the revolutionary approach to Test cricket coined by coach Brendon McCullum.
But Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne feels like Bazball is playing right into the tourists' hands.
"I think that's the benefit for us, the way they're playing," the Australian No.3 said.
"They're playing aggressive cricket, and [Root] is doing it with a different method, which is great, but it brings in other opportunities for us. Hopefully, at some point in the series, that will keep paying off."
Like it did at Edgbaston, when England were beaten on their own terms. Their aggressive declaration ultimately made a result possible. The pitch they ordered left Ben Stokes with nothing to play with in search of those final two wickets against Australia's blistering counterattack.
Australia play Test cricket as it is. England play it as they want it to be.
Perhaps now it is worth noting McCullum's record against Australia is one win, two draws and 13 losses from 16 Tests.
Yet there has been method to the madness. England had won one of 17 Tests before adopting an approach which encourages them to risk defeat in search of victory - and they have won 10 of 13 since.
They score at a rate of 4.76, the kind of sustained assault unmatched in history, and have people talking about Test cricket again.
Maybe there is hope for the five-day format amid fear Test cricket will be almost exclusive to Australia, England and India in a matter of years.
Yet more than run rates and aggressive shots, winning is sport's greatest currency.
"I think we'll win [at Lord's]," England opener Zac Crawley told Times Radio. "I think the pitch will suit us a bit more so I think we'll win by, I don't know, 150 runs?
"We're not about results. We're not about winning or losing, we're about entertainment. That's why we took [this loss] better than other losses perhaps, because it was great for the game.
"Of course we're there to win and it helps our brand and what we're trying to do. If we win, we get more traction. But I don't think we've lost anything this week other than a game of cricket."
The tune will change should Australia get the upper hand at Lord's in the second Test, which begins on Wednesday night [AEST].
Until then, Ollie Robinson will fire from the hip and send a verbal barrage at Usman Khawaja whether he has scored one, 41, or 141.
He'll pen a Wisden column about how surprised the English were about Australia's defensive tactics, and "how unwilling they were to go toe-to-toe with us".
Never mind the 146 years of history such tactics are built on.
"Obviously it's worked for them this Test match," Robinson wrote
"Baz [McCullum] said it after the game, 'It feels like we've won, lads. We've entertained the world, and we've put the Aussies on the back foot'."
If being on the back foot means holding a 1-0 series lead, maybe it's not such a bad place to be. What if Bazball could still be the real deal? The challenger remains a puncher's chance.
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Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
