Areas For England To Exploit In Perth

Before this series started, I wrote and predicted 3-1 to Australia, and it may surprise quite a few of you that I am sticking with that prediction… Just!

- Marcus North

The 5-0 defeat the hosts inflicted on England four years ago looms large in the opinion of many, but this group of players is very different from the touring party back in 2013. There were a lot of issues in that camp and a lot of personality clashes. What was once a great ‘group’ of players was right at the end of its journey, and the fallout that followed was evidence of that.

During that series, there were certain players – I believe – who just didn’t want to be there. But this group, under Joe Root, is more cohesive and there isn’t the same baggage. They are capable of playing good cricket too, but they are just losing the crucial sessions at the moment and the lack of first-innings runs is killing them.

The big problem with England is there is no middle ground. They win; they lose; they win; they lose. We saw it in the summer. They were hammered by South Africa at Trent Bridge and the critics were circling, but they then bounced back to win the series 3-1, and pretty emphatically, too.