Adelaide (Australia): England will seek to avoid going irretrievably behind in the Ashes and to dispel notions of defeatism when it faces Australia in the second Test on Thursday.

Nasser Hussain's team crashed to an embarrassing 384-run defeat in the opening Gabba Test - and in its capitulation indicated that an inferiority complex still exists against Australia.

Hussain admitted after the Brisbane fiasco, when England was bowled out for 79 in its second innings, that there were "11 very nervous cricketers" going into the opening Test. Their form only underlined that.

Mathematically, England could still retrieve the Ashes after seven consecutive series losses if it loses the Adelaide Test with three matches to play. In reality, it would be all but a lost cause.

Team elder Alec Stewart was tagged here as the 'grim keeper' when he said that Steve Waugh's Australians were playing better than during his previous six losing Ashes campaigns.

Australia has won 11 of the last 15 Ashes Tests and England has only triumphed in one of the opening three Tests when a series was alive.

Kent youngster Robert Key threw his hat into the ring for an Ashes debut with an unbeaten 174 to save England from another dire defeat against Australia 'A' in Hobart last weekend.

But whether England's team management is prepared to add Key to the starting 11 at the expense of bowling all-rounder Craig White is an intriguing selection issue.

Selectors have the choice of whether to play Steve Harmison or Alex Tudor to share the pace workload and also mull over whether to partner Ashley Giles with another spinner Richard Dawson.

Andy Flintoff looked out of it against Australia 'A' and may need more time to recover from his hernia operation.

England's attack will have to find a way of removing the prolific-scoring opener Matthew Hayden, who scored 197 and 103 in the Brisbane Test.

But England's other obstacle is how it handles Australia's two champion bowlers, Glenn McGrath and Warne. McGrath took eight wickets at the Gabba and has 411 wickets in Tests.

Copyright AFP 2001

Extras:
Australia puts off Gillespie fitness decision by a day
McGrath raring to go at Eng with pacemate Gillespie