On Saturday morning, England maintained their 10-year unbeaten series record against Australia at home with a thumping innings win at Trent Bridge, and regained the Ashes they lost 18 months ago down under.
Just after the much-abbreviated match, Australian captain, Michael Clarke, announced to former England captain and current Sky Sports pundit, Michael Atherton, his resignation as Australian captain and retirement from test cricket.
It brings to an end a colourful 11 year test career which actually has been statistically one of the best ever by any cricketer and definitely worthy of putting the cricketer affectionately known as Pup even in the autumn of his career, amongst the echelon of Australia's finest batsmen which includes names like Bradman, Border, Waugh and former captain, Ponting.
Until this tour of England, the last 5 years have been quite fruitful for Pup with the bat with the highlight being a memorable 329 against India at his home ground of the SCG at the start of 2012. That led to a run of 4 consecutive double tons in home tests against India and South Africa and then 7 more tons - 3 against England whilst being on the losing side.
Pup's test career had started with a bang - a century on debut in Bangalore against India in 2004 was followed shortly after with an incredible 6 for 9 as a part-time spinner in the same series in Mumbai. Then came the 2005 Ashes series where Pup had a poor series and was dropped to state cricket before being recalled to the side for the return Ashes series in 2006-07. He made 2 tons as Australia regained the Ashes and bade farewell to Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne later that summer.
Indeed, Pup's test career was probably complicated by being in a major transition for Australian cricket - after McGrath and Warne retired, Gilchrist, Hayden, Langer, Ponting, Hussey all followed in the years that ensued leaving Clarke the only current Australian test player to have played in a test with Warne and McGrath. This resulted in a significantly weakened middle order which showed its deficiencies in consecutive Ashes series in England in 2009, 2013 and 2015 as well as on the subcontinent - no fault of Pup really who was often holding up the fort while the rest of his batsmen walked back to the pavillion.
Pup did make up those deficiencies with some clever fielding tactics and bold bowling changes. These were evident in the 2013-14 Ashes series where the Aussies thumped England 5-0 with some brilliant young fast bowlers, as well as in the recent Cricket World Cup.
Perhaps, Pup's young, brash demeanour which passed off as arrogant at times made him less popular than his predecessors - his public profile never really recovered after his strange episode with Aussie model, Lara Bingle although he should be commended for the way he dealt with the shocking circumstances and sudden passing of his mate, Phil Hughes.
No international cricketer had ever dealt with those circumstances but Michael Clarke was honorable in highly emotional times - a ton in the first test after Hughes' death against India in Adelaide last year was the perfect response - and it would ultimately turn out to be his last ever ton, just one short of the great Don Bradman.
For many cricket fans, his threat to break James Anderson's arm - England's best ever fast bowler isn't exactly an archangel himself - in the 2013-14 Ashes cast a shadow on Clarke as a person but it should never take away from what has been a stunning career and Clarke will be a big loss to Australian cricket as they prepare for the Steve Smith era.
Cheers Pup. You may have been batting for the other side but you were a pretty good dog and deserve respect.
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