SHANE WARNE picked up his 700th Test match wicket as England waved the white flag on the opening day of the fourth Test.
The leg-spinner - set to retire at the end of the series - was the tourists' nemesis yet again, picking up a stunning 5-39 as Australia turned the screw.
Few can question that England - who wilted to a vastly below-par 159 all out on this occasio
n - looked outclassed for the first three Tests.
However, for arguably the first time in the series they looked like they lacked the stomach for the fight in front of a bumper Melbourne crowd this time around.
The 89,155 that turned up to witness Warne's 700th Test match victim was less than 2000 short of the MCG record - set against the West Indies in 1960-61.
And not even two late Andrew Flintoff wickets could dampen home spirits as Australia raced their way to 48-2 in reply.
Flintoff picked up the scalps of Justin Langer and nightwatchman Brett Lee in consecutive balls but the damage seems to be already done.
England went into the game with one change from the side that was beaten in Perth - Chris Read taking wicketkeeping duties in favour of the out-of-sorts Geraint Jones.
Flintoff called right at the toss and raised a few eyebrows when he opted to bat first in overcast decisions.
Play started late after early morning rain but it was not long before the Aussies had made serious inroads into the tourists' top order.
Left-hander Alastair Cook weathered an early storm outside his off stump but he went for 11 when he got a bottom edge trying to pull his bat away from a Brett Lee delivery and was caught behind by Adam Gilchrist.
And Ian Bell soon followed when he was trapped LBW by Stuart Clark for just seven to leave England staring down the barrel at 44-2.
Things perked up for a while, with Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood putting on a 50 partnership - Strauss chalking up his first half-century of the series before disaster struck. The left-hander went into the game without a half-century to his name but he reached 50 with a sweep off Warne before Collingwood was taken by Ricky Ponting in the slips off Brett Lee for 28.
And Strauss soon followed when he was bowled through his gate to give the veteran leg-spinner his 700th Test match wicket and send the crowd into raptures.
The weight of the captaincy has laid heavily on Flintoff's shoulders and the Lancastrian hung around for just 13 before he pushed forward to a rising delivery from Clark and was caught at slip by Warne.
Flintoff - like Strauss - has struggled with the bat throughout the series but England's body language failed to convince and you can't help but point the finger at the senior figures.
England looked rudderless and by the time their captain had gone they were 122-5 and it was only a matter of time before the hosts put them out of their misery.
Once more Kevin Pietersen was left carrying the can with the tail end - which begs the question why he is still batting at number five.
The rot well and truly set in when Read found Ponting at short extra cover to give Warne his second victim of the day. Saj Mahmood failed to convince and it was no surprise when he was caught behind by Gilchrist for a duck, which gave Glenn McGrath his 150th Ashes victim.
Pietersen was left tearing his hair out when Steve Harmison - promoted to number nine - threw his wicket away to Warne for seven.
And the Hampshire star followed suit when he holed out to Warne trying to force the pace just minutes later.
Warne turned the ball from the word go and he completed his figures off 17.2 overs when he had fellow spinner Monty Panesar caught by Andrew Symonds at mid-on.
It was Warne's 37th five-wicket haul in Test match cricket and the 37-year-old was thrilled to become the first player to pass the 700 Test wicket mark.
"That 700, I was pretty happy with that. It was just great," he said.
"To do it here in Melbourne...I don't know who is writing my scripts but they're pretty good."
He continued: "They are unbelievable feelings, my legs were shaking. The crowd were fantastic and it's a very happy day."
Warne, who started a lap of honour when he reached his milestone, added: "I got tired...that's why I stopped. It was a great effort from our guys."
