England Consider Changes As Series Hangs In the Balance

England’s humiliating innings defeat at the hands of a revitalised Australia brings to the fore a number of issues ahead of the series decider at the Oval, but more than anything else the swing of momentum in favour of the tourists might make any changes England make in both their performance and their team irrelevant.

This convincing victory for the Aussies gives them the impetus going into the final test, knowing a draw will gift them the Ashes for another eighteen months.

Andrew Strauss’ side gave the same anonymous performance that their opponents had showed in the two tests at both Lord’s and Edgbaston, but his side’s failure to convert their chance in Birmingham, when Australia were on the back-foot could end up being the teams downfall.

Selection dilemmas will dominate both teams in the following nine days before the fifth and final test, but after a pitiful performance in Leeds plenty of the England middle-order in-particular will fear for their place.

Ravi Bopars will surely be dropped in favour of an out and out number three, possibly Robert Key whose been much talked of for a possible recall.

The Kent skipper has been in the international wilderness for nearly four years, and with a highest score of just 52 against Australia in the 2002/03 series his pedigree isn’t much to shout about.

Key would bring some much-needed experience, but it’s unlikely his call up would strike fear into the Aussies, or more importantly be the catalyst for an England win.

Obviously the concerns over Andrew Flintoff’s fitness will hit the back pages for the next week or so but you have to think that after a convincing defeat without him, the all-rounder’s inclusion is pivotal in England’s Ashes hopes.

It will be Flintoff’s bow in test match cricket, and despite his injury you would expect that he’d be given every chance of playing.

If fit, for me he should replace Bopara in the side, while retaining his batting position at seven.

Matt Prior, consistently one of England’s highest scorers should start to take more responsibility and therefore be moved up to five, with Stuart Broad coming in at six.

Andy Flower seemed particularly cynical about the struggling middle-order and hinted that changes would be made, especially to Bopara’s place in the team, whether it be lower down the order or out of the team altogether.

Changes do have to be made, but everyone must remember, especially the supporters who stayed behind to boo captain Andrew Strauss during the post-match presentations, that this is the same team that had Australia on the back foot, a test down and on the final day at Edgbaston staring down the barrel of going two tests down.

While it may seem that I’m requesting wholesale changes, England haven’t become a bad side overnight, they were simply outplayed for the first three days of a test.

The bowling attack might need a re-shuffle, but not through loss of form like the batsman, but because of the state of the wicket at the Oval, which might be conducive for spin bowling, and therefore a second spinner.

Steve Harmison and Graham Onions will fight to not be dropped for the final test, but James Anderson is no certainly either with issues surrounding his fitness.

Calls have also been made for the batsman, hopelessly out of form, to play for their counties in preparation for that final test and give a chance for the likes of Paul Collingwood, Alistair Cook and Ian Bell to go away and rid themselves of the demons of Leeds.

However the overriding feeling of this match is that its no coincidence that England, without their premier players Flintoff and Pietersen, have been thrashed in this forth test.

It’s an issue that’s been lost upon most of the media and the ECB, and shows the frailties of England without their two main talisman.