England ponders changes, KP laments

England coach Trevor Bayliss will meet with fellow selectors on Tuesday mulling how to pick up the pieces after an embarrassing loss at Lord's, while Kevin Pietersen has again lamented being left out in the cold.

Bayliss was guarded when asked about potential changes after a humbling 405-run defeat that squared the Ashes series at 1-1.

"The reason they are in the team is because they are thought of as the best players in England at the moment," the former NSW mentor said.

"There are some good players on the outside and we've got a selection meeting. I'm not going to speculate on what exactly will happen."

Bayliss admitted changes were on the mind of "anyone when the team is not playing like you would like".

"But what you've also got to do is give the players that are in there as much confidence as possible," he added.

Adam Lyth, Gary Ballance and Ian Bell could all do with some of that.

Opener Lyth was dismissed twice by Mitchell Starc in the second Test, continuing a barren run this series.

Bell managed a total of 12 runs in the match, bringing the veteran's tally from the past 12 innings to 128 runs.

Ballance looked particularly uncomfortable against Mitchell Johnson, his contrast with Australia's first drop Steve Smith could hardly be more profound.

The trio could be close to the axe, with Jonny Bairstow considered the frontrunner to earn a promotion for the third Test that starts on July 29.

England have slumped to 3-52 or worse in eight of their past 13 innings.

"That's always a concern," Bayliss said.

"A team like Australia, when they get on a roll with the bowling attack they have got, it can be devastating."

Alastair Cook, whose gritty 96 in the first innings made him England's best player in the Lord's shellacking, was unsure whether the XI needed to change for Edgbaston.

"Good question," Cook said.

"It's certainly something we will have to look at over the next couple of days."

Meanwhile, Pietersen has said it's "ridiculous" he can't help out his former colleagues following their heavy defeat in the second Ashes Test.

The controversial batsman watched from Miami as Australia levelled the series in emphatic fashion.

The dramatic capitulation brought negative attention to England's top order among UK media, with the London Telegraph even providing statistics to show the top three are now worse than Bangladesh's.

While some of the aforementioned players have question marks over their selection, Pietersen took to Twitter on Monday to bemoan the fact there's zero chance he'll be the one called up as a replacement.

"Deep in thought right now ... ridiculous that I'm lying on a beach when I should be in UK prepping for the 3rd Test! So silly really! Sad!" he tweeted on Tuesday morning (AEST).

"Batting as well as ever & the team have huge issues with top order! What a waste, just lying on a beach! I wish I could help!

"So, so, so, so silly!"

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Pietersen was dumped in the wake of England's embarrassing 2013-14 Ashes whitewash in Australia and is still in international exile.

Recently appointed director of cricket Andrew Strauss made it clear in May there was no place for him in the team because a "massive trust issue" remained between the controversial batsman and the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Strauss' comments came despite Pietersen smashing an unbeaten 326 for Surrey in the same week.

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