the crew's impressions during the flight were that the every taking of the "wheel" resulted in the opposite direction.
This scenario was raised in an aviation quiz I went to years ago. The solution was to lean into the middle of the cockpit and fly using the inboard horns of the control wheels: left hand on right prong of left wheel, right hand on left prong of right wheel. This will result in the aircraft doing what you expect, even though the wheels themselves are moving in the opposite direction.
Do not try this in an Airbus!
