Australians are finding it hard to comprehend that the man who took the Ashes away from them is a mate of arguably their greatest-ever player.

Kevin Pietersen's century yesterday helped guide England towards a 2-1 series victory, with Shane Warne dropping him at slip early on in the innings.

Chloe Saltau wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald: "The Ashes have been taken from Australia after 16 years and returned to England by the most unlikely hero - a cocky, South African-born batsman with a streak of dyed hair and a massive sense of occasion.

"Kevin Pietersen helped England overcome the monumental efforts of the man who has carried Australia's hopes throughout this most gripping of Ashes series, Shane Warne, and ended Australia's long era of Ashes supremacy with a defiant, maiden Test century at the Oval.

"He became the latest star in the epic Ashes drama with his exhilarating 158 on the fifth day of the deciding Test to force a draw and seal a historic 2-1 series victory for England that will be talked about breathlessly in both countries for generations."

But the newspaper conceded, reluctantly, England deserved their win.

"It was a fitting series result for a team that outplayed the world champion for most of the series and a finale that did perfect justice to the drama that had unfolded in the previous four Tests.

"When he was finally bowled by Glenn McGrath, he shook hands with Warne and opened his arms to a crowd willing to forget he was born in Pietermaritzburg.

"He already has the English emblem tattooed to his bicep and now he is simply the man who brought home the Ashes."

The report also reflected on how quickly fortunes can change in Test cricket, adding: "Ricky Ponting's team will fly home this week as the first Australians to relinquish the Ashes in 20 years, less than two months after they raised the possibility of a 5-0 series win in the wake of their crushing, 239-run victory in the first Test at Lord's.

"This was only the fifth Australian series defeat in the decade since Mark Taylor led his team to a watershed victory in the West Indies in 1995, and the four other losses have all been on the sub-continent."

The SMH added that Warne's 36th birthday celebrations on Tuesday might be a little restrained.

"Warne, whose influence on the series was greater than his best-ever haul of 40 wickets and 12 for the match, and Pietersen are the closest of friends and the fiercest of combatants.

"Indeed, it was the leg-spinner and Hampshire captain, 36 on Tuesday, who talked up Pietersen for his Test debut, claiming he possessed an intangible 'X-Factor'. How accurate his words have proved.

Immediate and substantial changes to Australian cricket, both on and off the field, have also been called for by the Australian press.

Robert Craddock of the Melbourne Herald Sun claims the position of coach John Buchanan is -in the spotlight, but believes the fact he admitted his own shortcomings beforehand may just save his career.

"By his own admission, during his first six years in the team he has been more of a high-performance manager than a coach," he wrote.

"He has been lauded as a man who helped challenge the side to reach fresh heights, to help them to look inside themselves to solve their own problems and to work in groups to plan their own strategies.

"But, with a new generation looming, there is a feeling he needs to be more of a technical nuts and bolts man.

"This is not his strength so he will be encouraged to look outside the squad for assistance if he is re-appointed."

The newspaper added that the next generation of Aussie Test cricketers will need more tutoring with the appointment of a specialist bowling coach essential.

"Australia has not bothered with one because they have never felt they have needed one. The fast bowlers have coached each other.

"Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie have bounced off each other and both fed off Michael Kasprowicz when they went to India last year and needed to learn about sub-continental wickets and reverse swing."