Thursday 23 May 2024 08:00, UK
England's under-performing batsmen have been warned by head coach Trevor Bayliss they will come under the microscope at Tuesday's selection meeting for the third Investec Ashes Test.
After winning the first Test in Cardiff, England's bubble was burst in remarkable fashion with Australia claiming a 405-run victory at Lord's in the second Test on Sunday to level the series.
On a pitch where the tourists declared twice, the hosts' top batting order buckled under examination in each innings, with England losing their first four wickets for 30 first time around and for 48 on Sunday.
"It was pants down and backsides smacked," Bayliss said. "We were outplayed in this game.
"It's never a great start when they're 300-1 and we were always chasing the game from there."
Captain Alastair Cook made 96 in the first innings and is in no danger, but Adam Lyth, Gary Ballance and Ian Bell all appear vulnerable after contributing just two half-centuries between them in 12 attempts this series.
Jonny Bairstow, busy compiling a century for Yorkshire while England were bundled out for 103, is making a persuasive case for a recall and Bayliss did not deny that potential changes will be discussed when the selection panel meets on Tuesday to pick a team for the third Test at Edgbaston, which begins a week on Wednesday.
"It's on the mind of anyone when the team is not playing like you would like. Those things are always in the back of the coach's and selectors' minds," the Australian added.
"There are some good players on the outside and we've got a selection meeting. I'm not going to speculate on what exactly will happen until Tuesday. Every innings we've been 4-30 or 4-40... I suppose that's always a concern.
"But what you've also got to do is give the players that are in there as much confidence as possible as well.
"They are obviously good players and the reason they are in the team is because they are thought of as the best players in England at the moment."
Bayliss also weighed into the debate about English pitches.
There is a perception that the home team have ordered slow, low decks to negate Australia's pace attack, but Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood made a mockery of that strategy by roundly outperforming their opposite numbers at Lord's.
Australia coach Darren Lehmann appealed for more responsive tracks after the first Test and Bayliss echoed those sentiments this time.
"We've got no control over what the wickets are like, but certainly a flat wicket plays into the Australians' hands," said Bayliss.
"For anyone to win a series, you have to take 20 wickets per match. I think a flat wicket suits not only their batters but also the bowling attack they've got, more so than it does ours. So I'd like to see a wicket with more in it.
"That might make it more difficult for us to bat on it, but if we're able to take 20 wickets - even if they take 20 wickets - then we've still got a chance of winning."
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