Premier Australian batter Steve Smith has revealed that he was nursing an injury for the better part of the Ashes series, having wounded his wrist during the Lord's Test.
The 34-year-old had torn a tendon in his left wrist during the second Test at Lord's after making a match-winning 110 in the first innings.
"I did it at Lord's. I don't actually know the moment, it was when we were in the field. It wasn't until that night I was like, 'Geez, what have I done here, it's a bit sore'," Smith told Fox Cricket.
"I played the next game and then I had a cortisone before Old Trafford. I got back (to Australia) and I was like, 'Still not quite right. I still can't do a lot of things properly'."
"I had another scan. There was a small tear in the tendon as well as a couple of other things," he added.
After winning the opening two Tests, Australia looked on course to register their first Ashes series win in England since 2001.
However, the hosts staged a remarkable comeback to draw the rubber.