The Australian cricket team has entered crisis mode after getting bowled for 60 before lunch on day one of the third Ashes Test, making it the shortest first innings ever.

In one of the darkest episodes in his nation’s cricket history, captain Michael Clarke cut a dejected figure at the end of the days play, with the Ashes urn surely out of reach.

• Humiliated: England take iron grip on the Ashes
• Australia skittled for just 60 at Trent Bridge

“That’s as tough as they come today,” Clarke said. “Nothing went right at all today, that’s for sure.”

As wickets fell, records crumbled.

Australia’s first innings was the shortest ever in the history of Test match cricket, lasting only 18.3 overs (111 balls). The previous record for shortest first innings was 18.5 overs (113 balls), also by England against Australia at Lord’s in 1896.

England only bowled eight balls directly at the stumps for the whole innings. Given nine Australians went out edging, the team might have done better to leave every delivery.

‘Sundries’ (no balls, wides, byes and leg byes) was Australia’s highest scorer (14), pipping the highest scoring (human) batsman Mitchell Johnson (13).

It was only the third time ‘Sundries’ has been the highest scorer for Australia. It was the first time in an Ashes Test.

A team has been bowled out before lunch only four times in the history of Test cricket and now it’s happened to Australia twice (1896 and 2015). The other two sides are India (2008) and New Zealand (2013).

Interestingly, the meagre score was the equal seventh lowest score in Australia’s history. It was the lowest against England in 79 years.

In case you’re an optimist, in 1888 Australia made 60 in the first innings against England at Lords and then won the Test match.

England celebrate after Ben Stokes’ superhuman catch off broad’s bowling. Photo: Getty

Stuart Broad’s 19-ball five-wicket haul  was the equal quickest ever. He levelled with Australian Ernie Toshack from a 1947 Test against India.

His figures (8/15) are the best by an English paceman against Australia. Only spinner Jim Laker has had better wicket hauls for England (9/37 and 10/53).

This is worst ever #Australian scorecard one would have ever witnessed. Extras (14) tops the board. 4th test. #Ashes pic.twitter.com/dZZtnqJebB

— Shankar Chaudhary (@ChaudhryShankar) August 6, 2015

Only one Australian batsmen (Peter Nevill) hung around long enough to face more than two English bowlers in the innings.

If Broad dismisses David Warner, Josh Hazelwood and Nevill in the second innings he will become the seventh bowler to dismiss all 11 batsmen in the same Test.

The Timeline of Terror:

11.06am – Rogers out for zero
11.09am – Smith out for six
11.12am – Warner out for zero
11.20am – Marsh out for zero
11.28am – Voges out for one
11.39am – Clarke out for 10
11.55am – Nevill out for two
12.11pm – Starc out for one
12.14pm – Johnson out for 13
12.39pm – Lyon out for nine