Michael Clarke arrived at Trent Bridge in bullish mood, insisting his hunger for test cricket hadn't diminished and predicting another big innings was just around the corner.
He left it as a soon-to-be former Australia cricketer and a broken man, weighed down by the worst scoring run in his test career and one of the toughest years of his life.
Clarke announced Saturday he will be retiring from test cricket at the end of the Ashes series, concluding the 12-year international career of a player who will be counted among the best Australian batsmen in a generation.
It is hardly the way he wished to go, on the back of a fourth-straight series loss in England, but Clarke felt he had no option.
He has scored 117 runs in eight innings this series, and passed 50 just twice in 20 months in test cricket.
"You never want to walk away from the game," Clarke said, "but I think my performances in this series and the last 12 months have not been acceptable to me."
Clarke said he made the decision Friday night after talking to his wife. He notified the Australian selectors on Saturday, before Day 3 of the fourth Ashes test that lasted 40 minutes before England completed its series-clinching victory by an innings and 78 runs.
The decision whether to retire had been on his mind after every failure this series.
"I don't feel sad, I'm more disappointed," Clarke said. "I believe it's the right time. I feel blessed to have had the career I've had."
"Pup," as Clarke is also known, made his international debut for Australia in a one-day international in 2003. He was given a first test start a year later, marking it with a 248-ball 151 against India in Bangalore.
Clarke made his name as a stylish, polished batsman who caressed the ball to the boundary. He became an instant celebrity back home as his career flourished, and was appointed Australia test captain in 2011 as Ricky Ponting's replacement.
The past 12 months appear to have worn Clarke down. He has battled back despite hamstring injuries and was affected by the death in November of his friend and teammate Phillip Hughes, who was struck on the head by a ball while batting in a domestic match in Australia.
Clarke led Australia to the title in the Cricket World Cup in March but his form has nosedived since, with 47 being his highest score in the tours of West Indies and England.
Australian cricket now has another gap to fill in what is likely to be an exodus of senior players from the test team after the Ashes. Opener Chris Rogers has already announced he'll be retiring, fast bowler Ryan Harris quit because of injury soon after landing in England, and Shane Watson, Adam Voges and Brad Haddin may not play test cricket again.
Then there is the selection of a new captain, which is likely to be Steve Smith.
"Only time will tell, but I've certainly got faith in him (Smith), I believe in him and I believe in the Australian team," Clarke said.
"I think we have a lot of talent, whether it be in the changing room or in the Australian system coming through. I think we need to be patient, there's no doubt about it. Especially if we lose a few guys in one go. We saw that a few years ago when a lot of the greats walked away from the Australian team — it's going to take some time."
If he plays the fifth and final test at The Oval as planned, Clarke will end his test career with 115 appearances. He has scored 8,628 runs, 28 hundreds and his current average is 49.30.
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