Hayden reaches breaking point as England pile on the pressure

In a stroke which doubtless combined impeccable timing, accuracy and brutality the world's No 1 batsman yesterday exposed Australia's vulnerability. Matthew Hayden smashed the window pane on the dressing room door on his return from being given out lbw for two in his side's second innings as his side chased an unfeasible 452 to win the fifth Test here.

It was a perfectly executed manoeuvre which demonstrated that Australia are not much different from any other side when they are being beaten. They don't like it. For the first time in the series England were winning and doing it in style.

Hayden was the second batsman out in an early totter as England offered a model performance of their favourite game against the Aussies, known as what-might-have-been. If only they had played with such conviction earlier in the series, before going 4-0 down, they might have won.

The left-handed opener was immediately summoned to appear before the match referee, Wasim Raja, and cited under a level one misconduct charge, which the batsman was probably surprised to hear covers "abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings".

The judgement of a severe reprimand and a fine of 20 per cent of his match fee – approximately £850 – was about par for the course in the soft justice world of cricketing misdemeanours. Hayden, who parades his religion in the middle by crossing himself when he reaches a century, has become unaccustomed to low scores. Perhaps he was practising the creed of "in God's eyes we are all sinners".

Presumably, the referees have not yet received the letter which Malcolm Speed, the chief executive of the International Cricket Council, was threatening to send a week ago. Speed said he was unhappy about player misbehaviour and was anxious to remind match officials of their obligations. But being a cricket match referee remains one of the most sought after jobs in the world. It entails being paid to watch cricket and otherwise doing nothing.

Hayden's action was picked up immediately by television cameras. Perhaps it was no more than a miffed reaction to being out but it was a poor example. It was not as if his decision was that dodgy.

If he was going to go about smashing windows in disagreement, his opening partner Justin Langer would have been justified in trashing the entire ground. He was given out leg before after the ball pitched four inches outside leg stump. Another of Hayden's team-mates, the wicketkeeper, Adam Gilchrist was extremely fortunate to avoid being punished after a snarling reaction when his appeal for a catch off the England tailender Stephen Harmison was rejected.

The misbehaviour must have brought smiles to English faces. It confirmed that they had Australia with their backs against the wall, an unfamiliar position for Australian cricketers.

England achieved their ascendancy largely thanks to a significant partnership between the prolific Michael Vaughan and the captain, Nasser Hussain. Vaughan took his series aggregate to 633 runs before he was given out lbw, another decision which might have provoked a spate of breaking glass.

Andrew Caddick, the England bowler, said later: "Some of the guys said Sachin Tendulkar will be ringing up soon and asking how to play a few shots. He's one the best players England have produced in the last two years." There was some speculation later whether Caddick meant to say two decades or two centuries.