Form, history against England as Australia eye the urn

PERTH: Here it is, then. The last ever Test match - probably - at the WACA, a ground famous for being, at one stage during the 1970s and 1980s, the quickest and bounciest pitch in the world. It

is a venue which has embodied the tenets of Australian cricket perhaps better than anywhere else. To play well here at the WACA’s quickest, you needed to have courage, show aggression, have pace with the ball and daring with the bat. All are fundamentals of how Australia - even now - attempt to play their cricket.

Yet it has not been the recent fortress some might like to believe. In all, Australia have won 24 of the 43 Tests at the WACA but in the last nine matches, they have lost four and drawn one. South Africa have won here on their last three visits, including last year, and New Zealand matched them blow for blow in a 2015 high-scoring draw. The pitch no longer has the pace and bounce it once had which has given hope to opposition teams. Something for England, perhaps, to cling to.

The WACA has, however, been a place of punishment for English teams. They have won just once there, in 1978, when the home side were decimated by World Series Cricket. England have not escaped defeat at the ground since 1986 and their last three matches at the WACA saw defeats by the margins of 150 runs, 267 runs and 206 runs respectively. England will be very happy that the new 60,000 capacity Optus Stadium will host their next Test in Western Australia.

Not only is the weight of history against Joe Root’s men - at least from an English perspective - but so too is their form in the series to date. After two defeats in the opening two matches, another will not only see them lose the Ashes but will raise the very real prospect of a third 5-0 whitewash in their last four trips down under. Although England have competed at times, their staying power has been found wanting and key players Moeen Ali and Alastair Cook, who will make his 150th Test appearance in this game, are out of form.

Australia, by contrast, are in decent nick. Their bowling attack has proven too good for England so far and importantly has remained fit while only Peter Handscomb of the batsmen has failed to contribute substantially in the two matches. Australia’s second innings collapse in Adelaide against the swinging and seaming ball suggests the batting order remains a work in progress but England will be unlikely to extract the same movement at the WACA. When the ball goes straight, Australia tend to play well.

While off-field issues have dogged England ahead of this game, Australia’s build-up has been low-key. This series has gone more or less to plan for the home side while few could blame Root if he felt rather under siege. There is one way, of course, for England to turn the focus back onto the cricket and that is by winning but Australia, superior, in form and with the Ashes in their sights, are favourites to sign-off from the WACA with yet another victory over England.

Squads: Australia (probables): Cameron Bancroft, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith (capt), Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.

England: Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (capt), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.