Pakistan must have heaved a sigh of relief. The rout has been savage and comprehensive, but the torture is finally over. Australia go back Down Under, hot and tired but none the worse for their exertions. Which weren't considerable today anyway, as the Pakistani batsmen didn't keep them in the field for very long, losing by an innings and 20 runs.

It went into the fourth day, but only just, for an hour or so. Only the last rites remained, and once Hasan Raza (68, off 154 deliveries, 11 fours), was snapped up by Adam Gilchrist off Andy Bichel's short one, it was all over. Nine deliveries later, Mohammad Sami holed out at mid-on essaying a pull to give Bichel his third wicket.

With eight wickets in the match and 27 in the series, Shane Warne walked away with the man-of-the-match and man-of-the-series awards.

3-0 winners for the second successive time against Pakistan, a team which has often expressed ambitions rather too loudly, with little to impress when it has mattered, of being the pretenders to their pre-eminence. Australia go on to another Ashes campaign, and though England has promised stout resistance, Steve Waugh dismissed it, with a casual remark and a shrug: "They'd said it the last time too".

For Pakistan the whitewash has not just been a massive blow to the ego. While everyone from the cricketing establishment, including skipper Waqar Younis, is looking at the 'plus points' from the series, nobody is sure of the complexion of the team which leaves for Zimbabwe in about a week's time. We can be sure of more uncertainty.