Australia captain Tim Paine said he would be handing over responsibility for the team's reviews for the rest of the Ashes series to a teammate following his side's agonising one-wicket defeat to England at Headingley.
Paine's men has England on the ropes going into the final hour of Sunday's fourth day of play and looked set for victory when No 11 Jack Leach joined Ben Stokes at the crease still requiring 73 runs to chase down Australia's total of 359.
What followed is being widely regarded as the greatest Ashes innings of all time as Stokes hit an unbeaten 135, ably assisted by the resolute rearguard heroics of Leach (1), as England pulled off an improbable victory to level the series at 1-1.
For all Stokes' remarkable hitting in an innings featuring 11 fours and eight sixes, Australia missed chances to secure a win that would have seen them keep hold of the Ashes at 2-0 up with two to play.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon spilled the chance of a run out when he fumbled the ball while standing over the wicket with Leach struggling to get back to the crease with England still requiring two to win.
Another chance to seal victory went begging the very next ball when their was a huge appeal for lbw against Stokes. However, the England allrounder was given a lifeline as Australia had used up all their reviews.
Replays showed that the decision would have been given out, but Australia had burned their final review in desperation the previous over, off a ball from Pat Cummins to Leach that had pitched outside the batsman’s leg-stump.
The error in judgement proved costly, and was one of several questionable DRS calls wicketkeeper Paine has called throughout the three Tests so far.
"I've got every review wrong so far, so I'm going to give up and give it to someone else," Paine said following the epic Headingley finale.
"It was just spur of the moment ... have a dabble at it. But, yeah, I got it wrong."
Paine refused to criticise Joel Wilson's original not out decision, even if he disagreed with the West Indian umpire's verdict.
"I saw it live. I thought it was out. I don't need to see it again," Paine said.
"I have no issue with it, I don't think I've got a referral correct the whole series so I can't sit here and bag the umpires.
"To sit down and single out an umpire is unnecessary, he is no different to everyone else, he is allowed to make mistakes."
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England v Australia player ratings
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ENGLAND PLAYER RATINGS Rory Burns, 2 (out of 10) - Still just about in credit across the series, but two failures here showed he has to find more solutions if he is to really crack Test cricket. Reuters -
Jason Roy, 1 - Often seemed to be sledging the Australian batsmen. Which is bold from someone with 57 runs across six inning in the series, with two more failures here. Reuters -
Joe Root, 8 - No runs and just three balls faced between the second innings at Lord’s at the first at Headingley, then a leader’s effort in the second to give England a chance. Reuters -
Joe Denly, 7 - Top scored in England’s first innings with, erm, 12. But his plucky second-innings 50 suggested he could have the goods for this level after all. Reuters -
Ben Stokes, 10 - The greatest Test innings ever played? A little distance is needed for proper perspective on that, but factor in his heroic bowling, too, and he is quite the superstar. Reuters -
Jonny Bairstow, 7 - His second innings 36 was neither big nor matchwinning, but it was a counter-punch that infused England with belief. AFP -
Jos Buttler, 2 - Sawn off by Stokes with a mix up between the wickets when the stage had felt set for them to repeat their World Cup final form, and he remains run shy. AFP -
Chris Woakes (right), 4 - Culpable with the ball as England let Australia off the hook on Day 1, and they could have done with more from him with the bat on the fourth afternoon, too. AFP -
Jofra Archer, 8 - Stole a beach ball back from a steward and chucked it back to the revellers on the Western Terrace. Because he wasn’t enough of a hero already. Reuters -
Stuart Broad, 8 - The box office hits of Stokes and Archer have overshadowed a fine body of work by Broad in this Ashes so far. He was impeccable with the ball at Headingley. AFP -
Jack Leach, 7 - The best one not out he will ever make in his life, he reckons. It gave him a part share in the second highest 10th-wicket stand to win a Test. AFP -
AUSTRALIA PLAYER RATINGS David Warner, 6 - Rode his luck to make his first notable score of the series in the first innings, but he was back in the mire straight away second time around. AFP -
Marcus Harris, 3 - His returns were Cameron Bancroft-like: eight in the first innings, 19 second time round. So Australia’s problems at the top persist AFP -
Usman Khawaja, 4 - He is a shadow of the player who scored an epic century in Dubai against Pakistan last winter, with two more negligible efforts in Leeds. Reuters -
Marnus Labuschagne, 9 - Given the passable impression he has done of the master batsman since replacing him, he might as well be called “Labu-Smith”. It is easier to pronounce than Labuschagne, anyway. Reuters -
Travis Head, 4 - A duck first time around, then 25 in the second innings – but, to be fair to the left-hander, each ball was a peach that dismissed him. Reuters -
Matthew Wade, 5 - The century at Edgbaston apart, he has struggled to bring his domestic form with him on his Test return. He made nought and 33. Reuters -
Tim Paine, 0 - Two more batting failures. A review burnt in desperation, an over before it was really needed. And England scored 362 for nine in the fourth innings on his watch. Horror stuff. Reuters -
James Pattinson, 7 - He was not flattered by match figures of three for 58 as he was a threat throughout, on the ground where his brother played a single Test for England 11 years earlier. Reuters -
Pat Cummins, 7 - Outstanding in the first innings as Australia destroyed England’s top order, but he flagged when the game was there to be won second time around. Reuters -
Nathan Lyon, 4 - He bowled better than match figures of two for 115 suggest, but the botched run out of Leach with England requiring two to win might haunt him forever. Reuters -
Josh Hazlewood, 9 - Even this colossus could not stop Stokes, who took him for 19 in one vital over near the end. Other than that, Hazlewood was magnificent. Reuters
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Victory for England looked virtually impossible after a shambolic first innings saw them bowled out for just 67 with Joe Denly top-scoring with 12. It was England's eighth lowest Ashes total and worst Ashes innings for 71 years.
Paine, however, joined the growing chorus of praise for Stokes, saying the Englishman's heroics was "one of the great Test innings".
"We finished up on the wrong side of it but in terms of an advertisement for Test cricket, I think that was bloody exciting," Paine said.
"It was a bit of individual brilliance today from a world-class player. Stokes was playing out of his skin and he managed to do things that you normally wouldn't see.
"I didn't love it today but I love watching him play for that reason."
