Jason Gillespie
My England lineup for Perth Test Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson.
Why? As a head coach, I wouldn’t want to make changes at this stage and rather back the players who I have entrusted to do the job in the first place. James Vince is most vulnerable but England shouldn’t betray any panic yet with a switch in personnel. That said, they should be thinking about some tweaks in the order. For me? Move Jonny Bairstow up to No5, put Dawid Malan at No6 and then Moeen Ali at No7. Bowling-wise, provided Craig Overton’s ribs are OK then he gets the nod.
Key man Stuart Broad. He charged in against the tail in Adelaide, bowling in the upper 80s and I would want to see that from the outset. Hit the off-bail area consistently and from his height, he should prosper at the Waca.
Vic Marks
My England lineup Cook, Stoneman, Vince, Root, Malan, Bairstow, Moeen, Woakes, Overton, Broad, Anderson.
Why? This may not be a very popular side. It is the same as the last Test team in a slightly different order. In the short term it is hard to spy improvements from beyond. Mark Wood cannot be considered match fit. It would make no sense to toss in Mason Crane on a surface that Shane Warne found one of the most difficult in world cricket. Gary Ballance and Ben Foakes, even though the latter has been improving rapidly by virtue of not being in the team, failed in the match against the Cricket Australia XI at Richardson Park. So I am not in favour of desperate, left‑field, straw‑plucking gambles at the Waca.
Key man Alastair Cook. England need big runs from somewhere and he’s the only one with a Test century in Australia to his name. He managed the new ball well in Adelaide but he has to remember how to play off-spinners which should be a much simpler operation.
Ali Martin
My England lineup Cook, Stoneman, Vince, Root, Malan, Bairstow, Moeen, Woakes, Overton, Broad, Anderson.
Why? Mark Wood’s extra pace would add a different dimension to England’s attack – and the signs were promising during the tour match over the weekend – but Moeen Ali’s ineffectiveness to date leans things towards a fourth seamer who can be trusted to get through more overs. And besides, Craig Overton enjoyed a promising debut at Adelaide, while his height may also be a virtue at the Waca. Jonny Bairstow needs to move up a spot but other than that, England have few alternatives batting-wise (despite two squads out here) so it’s same again.
Key man Time for the batsmen to stand up in this series (earlier would have been handy) and so it’s over to Joe Root once more, not least since his back-foot game should be suited to the Waca. No pressure, captain…
Andy Bull
My England lineup Cook, Stoneman, Root, Malan, Bairstow, Vince, Moeen, Woakes, Overton, Broad, Anderson.
Why? Even those two little shifts in the order leave the side looking stronger, since Vince is surely too high at No3 and Bairstow too low at No7. Otherwise I can’t see a single selection that would definitely improve the team. Gary Ballance and Keaton Jennings looked every bit as flawed as Vince last time they played, and Ben Foakes does not have form or experience. Among the bowlers, Mark Wood has barely bowled since the summer, and if you bring in Mason Crane, another rookie, the tail’s much too long. You could swap Craig Overton for Tom Curran, but I’d give the same XI another chance.
Key man Joe Root needs to turn in the kind of decisive score that shapes a Test match. Forget the funky fields and canny plans, at this point what England need from him is a couple of hefty centuries.
Rob Smyth
My England lineup Cook, Stoneman, Root, Bairstow, Malan, Moeen, Foakes (wk), Woakes, Wood, Broad, Anderson.
Why? England are facing a 5-0 defeat, so they can approach Perth with the freedom of the whitewashed. I would drop Jack Russell and give the gloves to Alec Stewart – if not literally, then at least metaphorically. That move was shorthand for the desperate, last‑resort selections of the early 1990s, which succeeded more often than we remember – most notably in a legendary win against West Indies at The Oval in 1991. England need to create a sense in the subconscious of both teams that things have changed from the first two Tests. In this case I would bring in a specialist keeper, Ben Foakes, so that Jonny Bairstow can become a senior batsman at No4, with Joe Root moving into a position of maximum influence. I’d also bring in Mark Wood because, as Sir Ian Botham so succinctly put it, “these Australians need a few belters up their nose”. It’s a risk. But if you cannot gamble when you’re 2-0 down, when can you? All the old concerns – about Root batting No3, about Wood’s fitness – no longer matter. England will start afresh next summer anyway. It would be harsh on James Vince and particularly Craig Overton, and Bairstow wouldn’t like giving up the gloves, but the Ashes are more important than the male ego. This is a bespoke, short-term selection, based on good old-fashioned panic-logic.
Key man Joe Root. A big hundred from Root on the first day would change the mood at a stroke.
Adam Collins
My England lineup Cook, Stoneman, Root, Bairstow, Malan, Moeen, Foakes (wk), Woakes, Overton, Broad, Anderson.
Why? Joe Root does not want to bat at three and Jonny Bairstow will not fancy giving up the gloves. But needs must. In the case of the captain, there will be comparatively little to worry about on a lifeless Perth track. As for the latter, this elevates him to the job where his country needs him more than keeping wicket at the minute: crushing centuries. At seven, Ben Foakes is a more than credible addition in both disciplines. With the ball, Moeen Ali isn’t able to tie up an end at the moment so the pace quartet will have to do most of the graft. But he’s always wanted a top-six gig, so this is his chance on a must-win stage. Far from perfect, but not much about this tour is.
Key man Jonny Bairstow. In Brisbane and Adelaide there were hints of Bairstow’s matchwinner status. But stuck at number seven – routinely batting with the bowlers – hints are all they have been. It’s time.
