A captain's innings from Root and Australia's DRS woes... ASHES TALKING POINTS

NICK HOWSON AT OLD TRAFFORD: Could Andrew Flintoff swap Top Gear for Lord's and Nathan Lyon becomes the pantomime villain

Lyon's roar

Sports fans have the longest of all memories. Every unintentional soundbite, unwitting mistake or social media gaff will be used against you in the spirit of banter. No one is safe.

Nathan Lyon is the latest target of ridicule. His Headingley blunder - the failure to collect the ball and run-out Jack Leach - means he has left an indelible mark on this series regardless of its final outcome.

Having seen an entire session lost to rain, those seated in the rather suitably named Foster's Party Stand, the largest temporary facility of its type in Europe which has a capacity of 8,560, wasted little time reminding Lyon of the error of his ways.

From the moment his 12-over afternoon spell began, each time the ball was successfully relayed back to the spinner those within the aforementioned stand would erupt. Anticipation would build at the end of every delivery until it finally landed in Lyon's grateful hands.

Australia's fielders even got in on the act, giving Lyon simple catches to ensure he would not be embarrassed again. And if there is one trait the Barmy Army respect above all else, it is self-deprecation. And as for the occasions when Lyon shelled the ball, you'd be forgiven for thinking the Ashes had been regained.

It was a welcome distraction from the inflatable volleyball which had been staged earlier in the day. Dinosaurs, unicorns, beachballs and watermelons had previously been bounced around during play before being commandeered by stewards on the boundary never to be seen again. Several grown men even ran around trying to keep a lilo being taken by security, like a scene from a Benny Hill skit.

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Root's produces another captain's innings

Ever since reeling off successive Ashes ducks in the second innings at Lord's and the first at Headingley, Joe Root has barely put a foot wrong.

Following a determined and brittle 77 in Leeds when he played like a man trying to save his international captaincy, not least the match and the series, Root played with a greater deal of assurance at Old Trafford.

Granted, it was not as flamboyant an innings as England fans have become used to but it was another sign the Yorkshireman still possesses plenty of fight. That was emphasised particularly as he batted on after needing a new box and taking a blow above the knee. 

He had some luck too, with a pair of boundaries coming from two inadvertent edges through the slips.

Many have questioned his role in this team, exclusively as captain, and while those conversations will continue after this series there is no doubting he has the fortitude and resilience to emerge from this period. Applying it to his leadership is the next step.

^{The Old Trafford crowd took time out from playing with inflatables to mock Nathan Lyon}

SOS for Australia's use of DRS

“We’ve been really poor at it this whole series. We’ve talked a lot about getting better at our reviews." - Justin Langer

"I've got every review wrong so far, so I'm going to give up and give it to someone else." - Tim Paine

Despite Australia's desire to overhaul their use of the technology, they have taken their woeful record with the Decision Review System, which partly cost them the third Test, to Old Trafford.

Paine has the worst success-rate of any captain of a nation inside the top nine in the Test rankings since he took over the Baggy Green.

And following the absurd decision to review a delivery given not out after Pat Cummins struck Root on the pad - a call which seemed born out of frustration as much as anything - that record has grown.

Australia have been successful from just six of their 25 reviews during this series. England, meanwhile, are 13 from 30, with their captain Root the most successful skipper around with the technology.

^{Andrew Flintoff returned to Lancashire for day three of the Test}

Flintoff for England?

In an effort to fill the airwaves ahead of play resuming on day three, Test Match Special interviewed Andrew Flintoff and it was impossible to ignore the top line from the discussion.

Despite having taken on a major television role on Lad TV shows Top Gear and A League of Their Own, the 41-year-old continues to harbour ambitions of coaching the England team.

He previously applied for the role in 2014 but ECB officials overlooked his bid as they believed it was a joke. Flintoff was eventually granted a formal interviewed but Peter Moores was enlisted for a second spell.

Though he appears unprepared to leave his various broadcast roles for a few years yet, a move into coaching remains among his future aspirations having watched plenty of cricket "since Rob Key" started working for Sky. Really.

You wonder how many of the candidates to replace Trevor Bayliss after the Ashes are also considering offers to anchor a motoring magazine show.