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ARE the Ashes about to change hands? Chief cricket writer Malcolm Conn previews the Perth Test with his counterpart from The Sun, John Etheridge.
John Etheridge: I guess I should be wearing my bulletproof vest today. I haven't got a lot of ammunition to call upon after defeats of 381- and 218-runs in Brisbane and Adelaide. Still, England believe they are a chance of bouncing back in the series. And I agree with them.
Malcolm Conn: It must be difficult watching the Poms getting flogged across the country. But at least there's plenty for you to write about. It seems like there's a question mark hanging over nearly every player in the England squad at the moment. Whether it's Kevin Pietersen's desire, Alastair Cook's captaincy or the roles of inexperienced batsmen, there's plenty of talking points around the top- and middle-orders. And the attack's not much better. What does England do now? Call in Chris Tremlett, who bowled like a teddy bear at the Gabba? If England had caught properly, they might have made more of a game of it in Adelaide.
JE: That's a good point. Those three dropped catches cost England 286 runs in Adelaide. It's reasonable to think that if they'd held those they might have dismissed Australia for under 300 in the first innings and put themselves right in the game. There's no doubt the fielding has to improve. Another thing to note is that despite all this talk about Mitchell Johnson, the vast majority of his wickets have been in the middle order and the tail. With the exception of Alastair Cook, that's where his wickets came from. That would suggest that Johnson's impact on the series could be waning and the tide finally turning.
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MC: England's tail seems to start at No. 6. Ben Stokes looks a decent cricketer, but I don't think he's a genuine No. 6. Matt Prior has been horribly out of form. Sure, he slogged a few in the second innings at Adelaide but he hasn't made any runs when it's mattered. There's no doubt that Johnson's short-pitched deliveries have troubled England's batsmen. As Corporal Jones said in Dad's Army, 'They don't like it up 'em!' England have played the hook shot poorly. If they want to try that at the WACA with two men on the fence, good luck to them.
JE: There are a few nuggets of positivity around for England. Joe Root's 87 in the second innings showed plenty of character in difficult circumstances. Ian Bell is in good touch, and Kevin Pietersen, Michael Carberry and Alastair Cook have all scored half centuries at various points of the last two Tests. What England need now is for two of those guys to go on and make big hundred in Perth. If they can do that, and England can put together 450-to-500 in the first innings, the series is still alive.
MC: The biggest immediate concern for England - apart from the fact their players aren't very good - is their record in Perth. They have won only once at the WACA Ground and that was against an Australian second XI during the World Series Cricket era. Michael Clarke wasn't even born. Given England's record in Perth, and the form the Australians are in at the moment, I think it's reasonable to assume the Ashes will be changing hands inside a week.
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JE: I don't know if 35-year-old history is relevant to this Test. Perth isn't the fortress that it used to be for the Aussies. Australia have lost three of their last six Tests at Perth. The South Africans have twice turned them over, including a 309-run shellacking last year. Whatever the argument, we know that Perth won't be a draw. England have got to try and win to remain in the series. It's a shoot-out. And to do that, they'll presumably call upon one or more of their giants in Chris Tremlett, Boyd Rankin or Steve Finn.
MC: There was a lot discussed about the giants heading into the series, but they haven't exactly delivered. Some of Tremlett's deliveries were clocked in the 120kph range at the Gabba. And Finn looks like he's spent the tour games perfecting the art of the long-hop. He might have taken 90 Test wickets, but he's conceded runs at four-an-over in two tour games against modest opposition. And Rankin hasn't had much impact on tour either. For Australia's sake, I hope England pick them.
JE: Finn is definitely a work in progress. He's been sorting through some issues with his action. I think we'll see Tim Bresnan come in for Perth along with either Rankin or Tremlett. Bresnan is a very solid performer and Tremlett took eight wickets when he was brought in for the Perth Test three years ago. Whichever way it goes, might I remind you that this is a 10-match series and England is still leading 3-2!
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