So, England slumped to a 251-run defeat to Australia in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston to fall behind 1-0 in the series.
While it was a cracking start to the 2019 Ashes, with all three results just about possible entering the fifth and final day, England's second-innings capitulation is a concern, as is the loss of Jimmy Anderson to injury for the second Test at Lord's.
But what else did we learn? Here's a look back on five of the main talking points from the Edgbaston Test...
'Beaky' Blinders
It's Fortress Edgbaston no more. But, as much as Australia's four-man attack ran through England to ruin their 11-game winning run across all formats in Birmingham, there was another fearsome foursome running the city.
May I introduce to you the 'Beaky Blinders' of David Lloyd, Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton and Ian Ward. The video, brilliant. The outfits, superb. The acting? Highly questionable.
Cillian Murphy's job is certainly safe for at least another season if Nasser's "it's going to be hostile" while shovelling coal is anything to go by.
But hostile it was. Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft got the boos they expected from a fervent Edgbaston crowd after their bans for ball-tampering. Smith, in particular, answered those with his staggering batting feats for the Test.
Australia, arguably, already have half 'a red right hand' on that Ashes urn.
Sensational Smith
Just how on earth do you get Smith out?
That's the question that will haunt the England players' nightmares in the week leading up to Lord's after his combined 286 to turn the game at Edgbaston. Australia were 122-8 on day one, remember, before Smith racked up his first hundred.
Smith became the fifth Australian to score centuries in each innings of an Ashes Test - joining Warren Bardsley, Arthur Morris, Steve Waugh and Matthew Hayden - while he also added his name an elite group of four to ever score 140 in each innings of a Test match after Allan Border, Andy Flower and Tillakaratne Dilshan.
"I've never doubted my ability but it was kind of a dream comeback," said an emotional Smith. "It feels like Christmas morning every morning getting to come and do this. I'm really grateful to be back playing Test cricket.
England are somewhat less grateful for his return, with Smith having now scored 1116 runs in his last 10 Ashes innings. The only other Australian batsman to register even as many as 800 runs in 10 successive innings against England was Don Bradman - 1236 runs between January 1937 and December 1946.
'Oh My Broad'
With Smith batting England into the dirt and the eventual 251-run margin of defeat, it's easy to overlook Stuart Broad's superb spell on the first morning.
But it should not be overlooked. The 'streaky' Broad's best spells have so often been reserved for Australia and, in scenes reminiscent of that eight-for he took before lunch at Trent Bridge to help England regain the Ashes four years ago, he again ran through the tourists. All except for Smith - who he'd eventually bowl for his 100th Ashes wicket.
He bowled his fullest ever opening spell, also at his quickest for five years as he took 2-17 in six overs to set England on their way, while his wicket of David Warner in the second innings was his 450th in Tests.
His eventual match haul of 6-177 a rather unfair reflection of his efforts as the seamers were flogged as talisman Anderson broke down after four overs. But with Jimmy now absent for Lord's, perhaps even the rest of the series, Broad will need to lead from the front a fair few more times if England are to fight their way back in this series.
Selection issues
Jofra Archer appears to be the obvious choice to come in for Anderson, so long as he proves his fitness. But the heavy defeat at Edgbaston leaves England with plenty more than just one spot in the side to ponder over, particularly the poor form of Moeen Ali.
Moeen's return from Birmingham was all of four runs from two innings - bowled fifth ball in the first when leaving a straight one - and three wickets for 172 runs on a track that was ragging square as early as day two.
Moeen has taken more Test wickets (48) than anyone over the last year, but his struggles here were in stark contrast to Australia's offspinner Nathan Lyon, who ripped through England in the second innings to the tune of 6-49.
It's also now nearly three years since Mooen scored his last Test ton - versus India in Chennai - while his nightmare 2019 rages on, with four ducks from his nine knocks which have yielded just 90 runs.
Jack Leach's man-of-the-match display against Ireland at Lord's fresh in the memory - admittedly won more for his surprise 92 with the bat - means it wouldn't be surprising to see the selectors change it up, especially given the one weakness Smith supposedly has in his armour is against left-arm spin.
One positive at least for England is that, for once, they aren't going into a Test pondering a change in openers. Rory Burns likely cemented his spot with a gritty first-innings 133, while Jason Roy is only two games into his Test career, so will be forgiven for his final-day brain fade that saw him charge out of his crease and bowled by Lyon.
Umpiring errors
Poor Joel Wilson.
Appointed only to the ICC elite umpires panel on the eve of this Test match, Wilson got as many as 10 decisions wrong over the course of the five days in Birmingham. His partner for this Test, Aleem Dar, only fared slightly better with five incorrect calls.
"I'll always say that an umpire makes honest errors, but there were simply too many in this Test", said Sky Sports' David Lloyd. "It won't have gone unnoticed in the match referee's written report of the game."
Dar is due to stand again at Lord's next week, while Wilson is inked in for the third umpire's chair before returning to the field for the third Test at Headingley. However, Bumble isn't convinced that will necessarily be the case.
"That very much depends on his state of mind; it has happened before where an umpire has been pulled out of the firing line."
Watch the second Ashes Test at Lord's from 10am on Wednesday, August 14 on Sky Sports The Ashes and Main Event.