Finally, the English managed to enjoy the sight of Mitchell Johnson tearing in and destroying a top order.
Well, enjoy might be too strong a word.
But commentator Michael Vaughan was quick to highlight Johnson's incredible opening spell against South Africa, where he claimed 3-10 from four overs, as proof England's players were demoralised by an amazing bowler.
"That spell from @MitchJohnson398 puts it all into perspective," Vaughan posted on Twitter.
"No batting line up in the world can cope when he fires ... #Fact."
Ominously it was a noted improvement on Johnson's early work in the Brisbane Ashes Test, where the first of his 37 English scalps for the series came in the 18th over.
"I started a bit better here," Johnson said.
England discard Kevin Pietersen jumped to the defence of compatriots Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen, neither of whom would enjoy watching replays of their dismissals at the hands of Johnson.
"There is a HUGE difference when facing someone at 140km/h compared to 150km/h," Pietersen tweeted.
"When you [sic] facing someone as quick as Mitchell, your instinct occasionally makes you do things you shouldn't .. PACE causes indecision!"
Michael Holding, commentating at the first Test at Centurion, agreed. "That sort of pace is distracting," he told AAP.
"You can induce batsmen into playing strokes that they won't normally play."
