With two more months in Australia, England at this stage are in for a long long tour if they don’t start winning.
In both Tests, they have shown the fight to give a decent account of themselves, but batting collapses or their bowling has let them down in crunch situations.
If they are to win next Test, a few things need to change
1. Alastair Cook’s form with bat
Just 62 runs in four innings, with a highest score of 37, isn’t what you expect from Cook, who looks a man fighting a lost battle.
The old Cook, he of steely determination, needs to wake up. Given the magnitude of the situation, expect Cook to play an important role if England are to win.
2. Joe Root’s batting position
While Joe Root thinks he is best suited to number four, he surely doesn’t want to be coming at 2-10 and then rebuild, thereby curbing his natural, attacking game?
Root can take the attack to the opposition and this will help the run rate, as well as the men coming in next.
James Vince likes to hit out from word go but sadly his major strength, the cover drive, has become his weakness. If England want to stick with him, it should be at No.5, where he can get going on the attack immediately.
3. Johny Bairstow needs to bat up
Bairstow has looked one of the best out in the middle, if not the best of the lot, but he comes in at a stage where the game is halfway over or he has to bat with the tail.
Stuart Broad is a shadow of his former self with the willow, hence Bairstow needs to move to give his side the best chance of getting a big score in the first innings.
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4. Get a big first innings score
So far England have managed to score above 300 is only the first innings of the series, when Mark Stoneman and James Vince got going, before they were both worked out by Nathon Lyon and the Aussie pacers.
But some changes in batting spots and a good stand by the openers will give them a shot at getting 500-plus total in their first dig.
5. Moeen Ali’s position in the team
Moeen Ali hasn’t been at his best with the ball, largely due to his finger injury, but he has looked patchy with the bat too. In particular he has been found wanting against Lyon, who has got him out on all four occasions.
At this stage, his lack of bowling is affecting his batting confidence – better he be rested to get his hand fully healed.
Meanwhile, Ben Foakes can debut, allowing Bairstow to bat up the order and get a big score.
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