England coach says Mark Wood failed to impress in Perth while batsmen have shown they are equipped to handle Test cricket
Bayliss leaning towards unchanged line-up
Despite being two-nil down in the series, despite not taking 20 wickets in a match, and despite not having one player score a century, England look set to remain unchanged for the third Magellan Ashes Test at the WACA Ground next week.
After suffering a 10-wicket and a 120-run loss at the Gabba and Adelaide Oval respectively, calls for change from past players and pundits have come faster than a Mitchell Starc bouncer.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting would like to see Jonny Bairstow moved up the order from No.7 to play as a specialist batsman with Ben Foakes handed the gloves and one of James Vince or Dawid Malan dropped.
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen is not convinced by Malan or Vince, said Alastair Cook is having an "absolute shocker" and wants express fast bowler Mark Wood in the XI.
But after the loss in Adelaide, England coach Trevor Bayliss said now is not the time to panic and make wholesale changes.
Bayliss spoke again on Saturday evening at the close of play on day one of the two-day tour match against a Cricket Australia XI and, after he frustratingly answered questions about the latest alcohol-related transgression to hit the tourists, said the team that lost in Adelaide will likely be rolled out for the pivotal Test match in Perth that England cannot afford to lose.
"I thought the four pace bowlers we had in the last match went pretty well," said Bayliss, referring to veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad, allrounder Chris Woakes and inspired debutant Craig Overton.
"Broad and Anderson, they're going to bowl well anywhere. Woakes looked good and I thought Overton in his first game was outstanding; batting, bowling and in the field. He's got a hunger within him so I can't see us making a change there.
"As I said after the last Test our batters have all showed they can all actually play at this level but we've just got to do it for longer. Making 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s at this level is not good enough."
So it's unlikely Ponting will see the hat-trick of Bairstow elevated, Foakes in and one of Malan or Vince out for the third Test.
Equally unlikely is Pietersen's plea to have Wood installed in the starting side. Wood bowled with good pace and swing at Richardson Park on Saturday but failed to take a wicket nor impress Bayliss.
"He got the ball through OK," Bayliss said. "To be honest, he didn't really threaten to take a wicket – there were one or two appeals.
"I thought Tom Curran looked our most dangerous."
Four of England's batsmen hit the nets on Saturday while the fast bowlers are expected to begin their preparations for the WACA Test tomorrow ahead full training sessions as Thursday's opening day draws closer.
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.
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 WACA Ground, December 14-18. Tickets
Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Tickets
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