Coach Flower ready to make changes to failing line-up

Andy Flower has called England’s senior batsmen to account for his team’s false start to the Ashes and has promised changes for the third Test in Perth.
England coach Andy FlowerEngland coach Andy Flower
England coach Andy Flower

The tourists find themselves 2-0 down with three to play, and needing to overturn almost 80 years of Ashes history if they are to win the urn outright – for the fourth time in succession – from such an unpromising position.

Three times, in both innings of the series opener in Brisbane and then again at the first attempt in Adelaide, England’s batsmen failed to even approach a total of 200.

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The upshot was two landslide defeats as Mitchell Johnson’s pace flummoxed most of England’s specialist batsmen.

A change is definitely expected in the attack, with at least one of Monty Panesar or Graeme Swann set to be dropped with conditions in Perth in mind, but Flower is not afraid to consider further alterations if he feels they will improve the team.

“We have taken some serious hits but we do have a squad full of people who are determined to turn the ship around, and that’s what we must do,” he said.

“I’m absolutely ready to make tough decisions. There will obviously be changes in Perth.

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“Our fans watching back home, I can understand that frustration. We were not good enough.”

England, who flew west to Perth yesterday, will have two days to assess conditions and select and practise accordingly for the match which starts on Friday.

If England opt to go without spinners at all it would mean Swann – a non-negotiable first choice when fit since 2009 – dropping out.

Flower was unsurprisingly unwilling to give too many clues as to his thinking on England’s best bowling attack, especially before setting eyes on the pitch at the WACA.

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A pace-dominated arrangement is a possibility, with Yorkshire’s Tim Bresnan most likely to return in place of Panesar and tall men Chris Tremlett and the uncapped Boyd Rankin also in the reckoning.

“Graeme Swann has been an outstanding spin bowler for us and been very much a part of England’s success, but we’ll assess those conditions and see who will best be able to help us take 20 wickets,” Flower said. “Bresnan is a strong option for Perth, but the other guys also have a shout.”

Whoever takes the field, England know they cannot rely on a reputation for digging deep and fighting back in tough series – they have to prove they are still capable of doing so.

“Past glories mean nothing in this context,” said Flower.

“We’ve got a big challenge to stop the momentum of the opposition and to get ahead in the game.

“We had Australia 130-6 in Brisbane, but since then they’ve been ahead in both games.”

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