Ashes latest: England coaching staff under pressure after latest batting implosion

It is what it is for England

‘No discussions took place about driving on the up.’

The words of Marcus Trescothick following another catastrophic batting collapse at the Gabba, England's batting coach offering a quite bizarre reply when asked about the team's learnings from the first Test defeat in Perth.

‘It is what it is’ was another belting line as Trescothick was sent out to fulfil media duties at the close of play on day three, always a sure sign that England have had a bad day.

Most England fans have long grown tired of some of the attitudes within this group, but quite how Trescothick has the brass neck is beyond me.

Trescothick, a fine opening batsman in his day, has been England’s Test batting coach for just over three years now, so while people rightly question the futures of Rob Key, Brendon McCullum, and even Ben Stokes, as another Ashes tour threatens to go up in flames, what about Trescothick?

Time after time we are forced to endure another shameful England batting display, and time after time we are told 'this is the way we play’, or this week, ‘it is what it is.’

Like this team – what a load of rubbish.

Trescothick’s job is to make England’s Test batsmen better, and he is failing miserably.

Zak Crawley is the same player he was three years ago. Brilliant and destructive on his day, but consistently inconsistent and now averaging 31.49 from 61 matches. Has he tightened up his game outside off stump in that time? No, he has not. Nothing has changed with Zak.

Ollie Pope, hailed as the next Joe Root not so long ago, is as poor a starter now as he was three years ago, arguably worse, and after 63 matches, averages a middling 35.01, and only 18.71 against Australia. He continues to throw his hands at the ball and the manner of his dismissals are the same. He has not improved. If anything, Pope has gone backwards.

And what of Harry Brook? A genius talent who has so far taken international cricket by storm. But in the subcontinent last winter, Brook struggled badly against high-quality spin, from Pakistan to the white-ball tour of India, right through to the Champions Trophy. He did not improve from start to finish.

And now, Brook has played seven Tests against Australia and averages 35.46 with no hundreds – a huge drop from his overall average of 55.05. He made 12 in his one Test against South Africa and missed the Test tour of India where his game would have again been severely tested against spin.

Beating up on moderate opposition has suited Brook well, but when coming up against elite bowling attacks, he hasn’t yet delivered. His two hundreds against India last summer came when Jasprit Bumrah wasn’t playing, and his 99 in Leeds would’ve been a duck had the aforementioned paceman not overstepped when bouncing Brook out.

As you walk into the indoor nets at Yorkshire, there used to be a sign that read ‘talent gets you through the door, but attitude will keep you here.’

Brook has talent in spades, and perhaps away from the cameras his attitude is better than he projects when he bats with such an apparent lack of care, but his game management is highly questionable.

Even if we look past his two dismissals in Perth, this week’s were shockers – twice pushing at deliveries in the channel with no foot movement. The first innings dismissal was even worse, flashing hard at a drive that just wasn’t there, having already escaped an early stumping appeal when trying to ramp the ball over Alex Carey who was stood up to the wicket.

What made both dismissals so bad was that they came when Australia were gathering a head of steam under lights, and the situation required the number two ranked Test batsman in the world to understand the position of the game and take some responsibility in those big moments. Brook was unable to do that.

And while the likes of Crawley, Pope and Brook – all again dismissed driving on the up in this game – do need to be held accountable for some gormless decision-making, what are coaches getting paid for if not to ensure this doesn’t keep happening?

And that should start not just with McCullum, but with Trescothick, too, the man who is employed to make these batsmen better. I see no evidence that he is up to the job.

Stick with the big prices for top bat honours

Perhaps the batting failings seen so far this winter shouldn't come as a surprise. At the start of the series, this had all the hallmarks of a low-scoring one, though we hoped it wouldn’t be quite so one-sided.

Nevertheless, despite Australia’s dominance, we are currently two games in and have already had a big-priced winner of the top Australia batsman market, with Mitchell Starc landing in the first innings at the Gabba from number nine.

It’s worth pointing out here that I tipped him at 50/1 to win the same market in Perth. I'm smiling on the inside.

But, with Gus Atkinson winning the top England batsman market in the second innings in Perth at 33/1, that’s now two big-priced winners in two matches.

Perhaps Adelaide will be a little more forgiving on these top orders, but the way England are going, who knows. However, with the MCG to come on Boxing Day, this project might have some life left in it yet.

Jacks a rare positive at the Gabba

With Ollie Pope’s career very much on the chopping block in the next week building towards Adelaide, team selection for England will be very interesting.

Runs for Jacob Bethell for the England Lions this week might well earn him the nod at number three, though Ben Duckett could have few complaints if he felt a tap on his shoulder given his wretched form that dates back to late July. For the record, I would stick with Duckett.

The other consideration for England is how they keep Will Jacks in the XI, given he looked one of England’s better batsmen in both innings in Brisbane, displaying a simple and effective technique, and looking calm and assured at the crease.

It was a far cry from the frenetic figures both Pope and Brook cut, and in a week which was largely doom and gloom for England, the return of Jacks was a big positive. He looks a very good player with a good head on his shoulders, and I’d want him in my team for Adelaide.

The big issue is that Adelaide tends to spin, so Shoaib Bashir will have to play to justify his place in the squad if nothing else, meaning Jacks at number eight is much harder to square given you would then need to need to lighten the pace attack.

England will want to stick with four pace bowlers, with Stokes' injury record in mind, and on what we saw this week, Jacks at number three might not be the worst punt in the world. That’s assuming Joe Root doesn’t fancy moving up one.