What changes can England make to salvage some pride from dismal Ashes tour?
The tourists have meekly surrendered the urn after three Tests and attention now turns to trying to avoid a whitewash.
England have lost the Ashes after consecutive defeats in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.
The battle for the urn is over but with two games still to go, what issues do the beaten tourists have to resolve?
Here, the Press Association looks at the most pressing questions.
Are jobs on the line?
By losing all three live Tests in the space of 11 days, things could hardly have gone any worse. When things go so badly off the rails in Australia, heads roll. Managing director Rob Key, head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes are on the front line and it seems highly unlikely that all three will stay in post. Each of them will need to make their own case to stay, but a change of direction feels inevitable.
Is ‘Bazball’ dead?
It bears repeating that the nickname for England’s ultra-aggressive style of play is not one they have ever embraced. But it neatly summed up the bullish approach that characterised the dramatic shift that took place under McCullum and Stokes. On the evidence of the third Test, that moment has passed. England batted attritionally, perhaps even too carefully at times, and enjoyed most success with traditional bowling plans. It was comfortably their most competitive performance yet and it would be a surprise to see the excesses of their previous game plan creep back in.
Who plays at Melbourne?
The Boxing Day Test is a marquee event in the cricketing calendar and the tourists will be eager to save face. Ollie Pope will surely be watching from the dressing room, with his inconsistent run at number three seemingly at an end. He averages 17 in Ashes cricket, with no half-centuries in 16 innings, and looks devoid of confidence. Jacob Bethell is next man in and is likely to be handed the biggest chance of his career. Among the bowlers, Gus Atkinson is ripe for a recall, perhaps at Brydon Carse’s expense, while Matthew Potts is also on hand. Spinner Shoaib Bashir has yet to feature and it is unclear whether England are ready to throw in a youngster who has struggled in warm-ups.
Did England pick the wrong squad?
There were few surprises in the touring party, England having made a virtue of consistency in selection. But it now seems apparent that they chose a flawed structure. Ben Duckett is hopelessly out of form but there is no spare opener; Jamie Smith has shrunk behind the stumps but has no competition as wicketkeeper; Will Jacks has been pressed into service as a makeshift spinner because reliable hands like Jack Leach and Liam Dawson were banished. If England had their time again, they would surely bring a stronger, deeper group that challenged the first XI.
Are we staring at another 5-0?
Australia whitewashed England in 2006-07 and again in 2013-14. Completing a hat-trick here would be acutely embarrassing given the pre-series hype for a nip-and-tuck contest. Momentum is hard to stop, though, and it lies entirely with Australia. They have won almost every key moment along the way and know they have rocked the tourists’ self-belief. England, meanwhile, know that Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon will be missing from the fourth Test, with no certainty on Steve Smith’s comeback. Beating a weakened Australia in a dead rubber is surely the minimum requirement to salvage a shred of pride.
