"Chokers", ran the Daily Mail banner headline. "It took England 16 years to regain the Ashes -- these men gave them back yesterday in two hours of schoolboy panic."

"England lose the Test that no one could lose," said the back page of The Sun while the Daily Express headline read: "England left in state of shock".

The Daily Telegraph chimed in with "England collapse brings point of no return" and The Times added: "England punished after hour of madness."

The Express said: "There have been some depressing days for England since they last won the Ashes in Australia 20 years ago, but few have matched yesterday in Adelaide for the mood of utter despair that settled on Andrew Flintoff's team."

The British media had been confident of an England victory after the first day, writing off experienced bowlers Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath who struggled in England's huge first- innings total of 551 for six declared.

With Australia making a remarkable recovery, however, the papers were forced to make a rapid reassessment as England face up to the challenge of fighting back from 2-0 down starting with the third Test in Perth.

"It is a long way to Perth from just about anywhere in Australia, but England face an even greater journey when they get there after losing their second successive Ashes Test in crushing circumstances," the Telegraph said.

Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott said in his Telegraph column: "Make no mistake about it, the Ashes are gone. If you support England, don't kid yourself that they might come back. No England team in history have recovered from 2-0 down against Australia. And let's face it, on current form, this is not a side capable of making history."

Warne's compelling display brought a raft of praise.

"Shane Warne messed with the minds of England's batsmen so completely they were stripped of their sanity, spirit and spine," The Sun said.

"Warne is cricket's Peter Pan, the King of Neverland who reduced England to nothing less than a collective nervous breakdown," the Independent's James Lawton wrote.

The Times said the defeat exposed failings in England's management.

"There are failures of leadership behind England's approach, no matter how difficult it was to get on top of Shane Warne's bowling yesterday and how excellent Australia's cricket was throughout the final day," the paper said.