We are about to find out exactly what England’s cricketers are truly made of. This is the toughest examination yet of the majority, if not all, of the eleven men who will step out at the WACA on Thursday with the Ashes on the line.
Lose and Australia will have regained the urn before Christmas arrives, rendering the always hotly-anticipated Boxing Day Test a dead rubber.
But more than sporting credibility is at stake here. Joe Root’s men arrive in Perth with an ever-growing list of critics. Off the field, everything is going wrong. On it, there isn’t much for Three Lions supporters to hang onto either.
Over the weekend, as England faced their final tour match of the series, England Lions player Ben Duckett was suspended for pouring a pint over James Anderson’s head – in the same bar of Jonny Bairstow’s so-called head-butt on home opener Cameron Bancroft on the first night of the tour.
Having arrived with the Ben Stokes-saga hanging over the team to claims from Root that a drinking culture didn’t exist in the side and having endured a team curfew – later lifted – by director of cricket Andrew Strauss, it appears all is not well behind the scenes. Root and coach Trevor Bayliss – publicly seething by the latest misdemeanours within the ranks – have a huge job on their hands to get their team together again and lift what seems a spirit in disarray.
Moreover, they have to make this England side one the supporters – and those in Australia have illustrated just why they are regarded as the world’s best – start believing in them again. Only sporting actions can help.
Supporters are fickle at the best of times. Remember how Andrew Flintoff is lauded despite often falling foul of the standards expected of an elite international cricketer when away from the field of play. If England come out fighting and pull the series back to 2-1, all of the off-field stuff will soon disappear.
But, while they continue to be outbatted, outbowled and outfielded – often outthought and certainly outfought too – by Australia, then supporters, pundits and the media, both at home and Down Under, will not be shy in sticking the boot in.
This is the biggest challenge of Root’s career. And Bayliss, employed in many respects to take the shackles away from the England players following his perceived more intrusive hands-on predecessor Peter Moores, must show the right leadership and get his team battling together.
Nobody expects England to retain the Ashes now. Indeed, a whitewash seems the most likely bet – and remarkably it would be the third time in their last four Australian tours should it happen, quite disgracefully. So England have much to prove.
Despite this, and the tourist’s woeful record on the hard, bouncy WACA pitches so suited to the fearsome Australia attack and not England’s seam stars, there is a chance.
Root must remind his men they bowled Australia out for 138 in their last innings. Anderson was all over them, and Chris Woakes performed exceptionally, while Broad was impressive without proper reward.
Two fifties - though not being converted into tons is a concern - proves Root is batting well, while Alastair Cook’s 36 last time out proved he is fighting hard. Mark Stoneman has impressed at times and surely the best is still to come from Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow?
The toss is critical. A first innings lead vital. The mettle of England is about to be truly tested. It’s never been more important for them to stand up.
