Pressure mounts on under-fire Moeen

Joe Root believes Moeen Ali will do "great things" in the future but he may not escape the axe for the Ashes series finale in Sydney.

The England allrounder's nightmare series continued during the drawn fourth Test in Melbourne, where he failed to take a wicket and holed out cheaply with the bat.

Moeen has claimed just three wickets at 135 for the series.

With England desperate to salvage a dead-rubber victory after being denied in Melbourne, they can ill-afford to carry an under-performing tweaker at the typically spin-friendly SCG.

"I think personally you've got to move on," former England spinner Graeme Swann told the Nine Network.

"He's so shot for confidence.

"When he gets to Sydney, because it's a wicket traditionally that spins, he'll be expected to take wickets. He'll have extra performance pressure on him."

Uncapped leg-spinner Mason Crane looms as the likely replacement for Moeen, who suffered a side injury at the start of the tour which denied him time in the nets.

The 30-year-old was demoted to No.7 after the second Test and has scored 136 runs at 19.42 for the series.

His evaporating confidence was obvious during a manic knock of 20 at the MCG which came at a time when England needed to buckle down and build a solid partnership.

Moeen arrived at the crease and cracked 12 runs off Lyon's second over, including a six over long off which only cleared the outstretched hands of Pat Cummins by a fraction.

Two overs later, he fell victim to his finger-spinning rival for the sixth time from seven innings when his ill-timed cut shot was picked off by a diving Shaun Marsh at short extra cover.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan was another to suggest England needed to consider other spinning options.

"If he can't be in the top five as a batsman, I don't see how he gets in the side," Vaughan told BBC.

"England need to find the next best spinner to come into the Test team.

"And Moeen Ali, to be a regular in this Test team it can't be that he bats at No.8. It can't be that he bats and bowls a bit."

Vaughan also called for 20-year-old Crane to replace Moeen for the Sydney Test.

"For me he has to play in Sydney, because of what we've seen in Moeen Ali," he said.

"I didn't agree with (his spot in the squad originally), but you have to get him in for Sydney because I don't see how he can do any worse than Moeen.

"It's probably doing the right thing for Moeen leaving him out – he just looks shot to me."

England skipper Root was guarded on Saturday when asked whether Moeen would be an automatic inclusion at the SCG.

"Moeen's a fine player," Root said. "He's obviously had a tough tour until now. But he's going to do some great things for England in the future and he has done in the past.

"We've seen a number of guys respond well to a difficult few weeks on this tour already and there's no reason why Moeen can't come back from that."

Wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow yesterday launched an impassioned defence of his under-fire teammate.

"A guy who is the second-fastest (England player) ever to 2000 Test runs and 100 Test wickets; I think that that's unquestionable to even think he's not in our best XI," Bairstow said.

"He wouldn't have played the first four Test matches if he's not in that first XI. There aren't many finger spinners who will come to Australia and bowl teams out.

"It's very important that you get behind Moeen. He can take a game away from you.

"And I think that's something that whether it's this game or the first Test match in New Zealand (in February), the talent and the capabilities of Moeen Ali is unquestionable."

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Ashton Agar.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Australia won by 10 wickets. Scorecard

Second Test Australia won by 120 runs (Day-Night). Scorecard

Third Test Australia won by an innings and 41 runs. Scorecard

Fourth Test MCG, drawn. Scorecard

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21