The ashes, 2013-14 Features

Before the series, one bookmaker gave 100-1 odds of Australia winning 5-0 against England, which had been undefeated in a Test match in 2013 and had won the previous three Ashes series.

As Australia partied long and loud at the Sydney Cricket Ground and England sloped off to face a barrage of criticism, the numbers revealed the sheer scale of the hosts' superiority.

Australia's 5-0 whitewash of England was scripted mainly by three heroes - Mitchell Johnson, Brad Haddin and Ryan Harris, each of whom is well past 30 years of age.

The Ashes series Down Under had no shortage of controversy. Here is a look at the top five occasions when the ugly side of things came to the forefront.

James Anderson, 31, had his best day of the series, taking three for 50 and leading the way for the tourists as they bid to prevent Australia from sweeping the series 5-0 after already relinquishing the Ashes.

Graeme Swann shocked the cricket world on Sunday by announcing his immediate retirement mid-way through the already doomed series with Australia, sending social media into a twitter over the timing.

Thirty-somethings Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann and James Anderson, along with captain Alastair Cook, all went missing as Australia won emphatically in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth to take an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Darren Lehmann has been the instigator of a reinvigoration of Australian cricket in just six months, since stepping into the hot seat vacated by the sudden sacking of Mickey Arthur.

The astonishing revival of Mitchell Johnson has evoked memories of the bygone era of lethal quicks Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson 40 years ago.

The moustachioed left-arm speedster Mitchell Johnson has been a constant threat for the tourists, who are almost certain to go 2-0 down in the five-Test series, with one pundit predicting the Ashes could be decided in a total of just 11 days.

There was general agreement that Australia captain Michael Clarke had gone too far in threatening England No 11 James Anderson with a "broken arm" towards the end of the recent Ashes opener in Brisbane, which the hosts won by the crushing margin of 381 runs.

One question asked repeatedly since Trott's withdrawal is, knowing what they did about his condition, why did England select him for their most high profile and 'stressful' tour?

Jonathan Trott is not the first England star who has suffered due to stress-related illness. Demanding schedules, mind games and the pressure of performing in high-profile series surely take a toll.

Born in South Africa, Trott worked his way up to emerge as a key player for England since his Test debut against Australia at The Oval in 2009, making more than 3,500 Test runs at a healthy average of 46.45.

Australia have not won the Ashes series since 2006-07. England will be looking for their fourth consecutive series win over Australia when the first Test gets underway in Brisbane from November 21.

The swaggering, flashy Kevin Pietersen with a mouth to match has been the main target of Australian media in the Ashes build-up, eclipsing even unpopular bowler Stuart Broad.

Australia's squad is more settled than it was during the tumultuous buildup to the last Ashes series in England, which only finished in August with the home team as 3-0 victors

Australian crowds don't need any encouragement when it comes to cheering against The Poms, as the English are widely known in this federation of former British colonies.