Each Ashes Test on this tour has a unique moniker. And if you were not aware that this one in Adelaide is dubbed "The Christmas Test", then you certainly were on Wednesday.
Signs punctuate the various junctions across this grid city, and the outer concourse of this famous ground. For those reared on cold Christmases, these are necessary reminders that the festive music scoring these 35-degree-centigrade days is not out of place. Santa Claus wears shorts here, you know.
And for 83 overs of pretty low grade Test cricket on day one, Australia and England did right by the tag; exchanging the kind of gifts that belie a fierce rivalry. On the face of it, 326 for 8 at stumps is a hard to give to either side. But there is an argument to be made that the hosts, having won the toss and chosen to bat, could have wrapped up the series had they been less generous.
The biggest gift of them all came before a ball had been bowled when Steven Smith was ruled out with vertigo on the first morning. Not that England have been able to cash in on key absences this series, typified by Pat Cummins returning to take charge of his side with the scoreline already 2-0. But they were given a helping hand by a batting effort littered with errors.
Smith's presence would have no doubt discouraged them, and avoided the two wickets inside three deliveries straight after lunch, when Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green inexplicably found Brydon Carse at midwicket. Even Usman Khawaja, as part of the rebuild from 94 for 4, was too forthcoming with a slog sweep that handed Will Jacks the first of two wickets that made an expensive 20 overs for 105 seem a little more reasonable.
That Khawaja had been given a life on 5 - a straightforward catch shelled by Harry Brook at second slip - was the first of the reciprocated goodwill. The more harrowing for England came through centurion Alex Carey - not once, but twice. On 52, he gave Carse a tougher chance at extra cover than the worldie Zak Crawley took at a closer cover to see off Travis Head. Worst of all, an audio-visual mis-calibration allowed Carey to escape with what he himself admitted was probably an edge through to Jamie Smith on 72.
"At the start of the day, we'd have taken eight wickets," said David Saker, England's bowling coach. "If we were batting by the end of the day, we'd have said we had won the day."
To be within two wickets of their own first innings with the bat, on a pitch that is expected to quicken enough to get better for batting, reinforces Saker's positivity. At the same time, it was an unpolished bowling performance that, who knows, probably benefitted from the rough edges.
Jofra Archer's 3 for 29 was helped along by the brain fades to start the second session, but his accuracy was noticeably superior to his fellow bowlers. He offered little for a cut-savvy Australia line-up to go at, sitting on a length for 77 per cent of his deliveries. That he was entrusted to start each session reflected the trust Ben Stokes has in him, and that he is the only seasoned new-ball bowler in the attack.
That being said, though he has clearly been England's premier quick of the series so far - his superiority reiterated today as his fellow bowlers managed just 5 for 297 in the 67 overs between them - the collective drive carried a character to it. One that had not been needed on that first outing in Perth because they were just so damn good, but had been lacking since, when they really weren't.
Just as well. Because if not now, then when? Stokes' comments in the aftermath of the Brisbane defeat, that "weak men" have no place in his dressing room, or Australia, was followed by further private chats before publicly urging his charges to find the *dawg* in them. And even with the graciousness of the hosting batters, there was a brawling quality amid the waywardness.
Carse was either too short or too full - all while occasionally overstepping - gradually wrestling back some control after a helping left hand from Crawley. By the time England had moved to their beloved short-ball tactic with an older ball, the Durham quick was in the groove enough to ruffle Cummins into a dab to short leg. This after Josh Tongue - also expensive - had shocked the Australia captain with a few bumpers of his own, having pushed Josh Inglis back enough to force the number seven to defend back and onto his own stumps.
Similarly, Jacks was taken to the cleaners - his hundred with the ball brought up in as many deliveries - but effectively filibustered at the City End while the quicks rested up. Even Stokes, wicketless, shook himself out of chasing wickets for control, finishing the day with an economy rate of 2.78 from his 19 overs.
This attack, particularly the pace component, is exactly what it is; a group individuals who all do different things but lack guidance. For most of this trip, they have had the feel of a group of mates at a silent disco all listening to different songs.
Perhaps that should be expected given England have had three different bowling coaches in the last 12 months alone. From James Anderson to Tim Southee and now Saker, there has been no through line. And a distinct lack of experience, with Archer, playing in his 18th Test, the most-capped specialist bowler.
"We don't really talk about leaders," said Saker when it was put to him that Archer has emerged as the head of the pack. "When you've got the ball, it's your job to stand up and bowl as aggressively and as good as you possibly can."
If snuffing out Australia for 132 at the Optus Stadium was regarded as the most complete English bowling performance in generations, this one here at Adelaide Oval might be the most complete incomplete display. Plenty wrong but even more endeavour in sapping heat to make amends.
You could argue their persistence prompted Australia into unforced errors. The vibe in the field was constantly off-beat, the kind that drives you a little crazy if you pay too much attention to it. A distracting buzz in the back of the mind, distracting Australia from the sensibilities they have made their own, and have got them to the stage of being two up after only six days of cricket. It was reminiscent of Australia's capitulation at Headingley in 2023, which is where England's fight back from 2-0 to 2-2 began.
They will need to be far more precise with the bat when they get their chance. The bowlers' commitment made up for a lack of quality, and two quick wickets tomorrow will give the tourists their go to bat on an even hotter day, with temperatures on day two expected to breach 40.
A lead must be achieved, and a sizable one at that. Unlike today, they will need to be close to perfect. If not, the Ashes are pretty much over. And if that ends up being the case, they may as well cancel Christmas too.