Head coach Andrew McDonald and selector on duty Tony Dodemaide digested Green’s situation as they watched Brook lead England to a comprehensive victory in another rain-shortened affair that tied the series at 2-2.

Reduced to 39 overs a side, the contest was dominated by England’s batters, who by posting 5-312 would have been on track for a tally of 400-plus in a 50-over affair. Only Hazlewood among the Australian bowlers was able to avoid significant punishment.

While Brook (87, 58 balls) backed up his Durham century with another innings of timing and invention, it was Liam Livingstone who put most space between the teams by hammering seven sixes on his way to 62 from a mere 27 balls.

Four of those came from the final over of the innings, delivered by Mitchell Starc, who repeatedly tried to nail a Yorker to Livingstone only to see three of those attempts disappear for sixes. Another six and a last ball boundary meant 28 came from the over, the most expensive in Australian ODI history.

Australia’s response started brightly with a stand worth 68 between Travis Head and captain Mitchell Marsh. Head revived memories of Kim Hughes’ legendary six at the 1980 Centenary Test – belting Chris Old onto the top of the Members Pavillion – by clouting one delivery from Brydon Carse clean out of Lord’s.

“Probably not,” Head said when asked if he had hit any bigger. “It would’ve been nice to hit a few more, but I felt like I’m hitting the ball nicely, could just do it for longer.”

But once the openers were separated, the white ball began to dart around sharply under the floodlights, presenting ideal conditions for Matthew Potts, Jofra Archer and Carse. The Australians floundered, losing 6-28 to more or less end the contest, before the lower order scrambled to 126.

It was the unhappiest of returns to Lord’s for members of the Test team who were on the end of flurries of abuse from the crowd after Jonny Bairstow’s stumping by Alex Carey on day five of a memorable Ashes Test.

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Carey played but did not keep wicket as Josh Inglis returned, and was the source of one moment’s controversy when he appeared to claim Brook caught down the leg side, before replays showed the ball did not carry.

There will be some unpleasant parallels, too, in that England have once again come roaring back from an 0-2 deficit to have the series alive with one game to play and all the momentum with Brook and company.

Amid the collapse, Marnus Labuschagne suffered a hefty blow on the arm from Archer that required treatment, before he was bowled by a ripper from Carse that angled into middle stump before seaming away to knock out off.

The final game of the series is in Bristol on Sunday night, but Australian eyes are already turning towards home.

“A couple of the boys have been crook and it hasn’t been ideal,” Head said. “Personally I’m hoping to go out with a bang in a couple of days.”

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