Jonathan Agnew column: Ashes will be 5-0 unless England improve
- Published
The Ashes: Australia end England resistance to win second Test
If England keep playing as they are, only rain will save them from another 5-0 whitewash in Australia.
The final day of the second Test was a step in the right direction. Jos Buttler, up against it because of his dropped catches, showed tremendous determination. The rest battled to take the match into the final session.
However, these are small crumbs of comfort.
The reality is the game was lost when England were bowled out for 236 in their first innings and 275 runs is another massive margin of defeat.
England have never come from 2-0 down to win an Ashes series. Unless they are transformed and Australia disintegrate, Pat Cummins will surely get his hands on the urn in Hobart.
Australia are fallible. They are a decent team without being a great one. They are giving England opportunities and chances that Joe Root's side have been unable to take.
You can't help but feel sorry for Root. Not only has he carried England's batting on his back all year, but he also went through an extremely painful day on Sunday.
His comments after the defeat in Adelaide were telling. It is extremely unusual for Root to go public with criticism of his bowlers, rightly saying they bowled too short.
The Ashes: 'We have to be better' - Joe Root
To accuse England of bowling too short is nothing new - they did the same thing on the same ground with the same result four years ago - but criticism usually comes from us in the media, rather than the captain.
Why did Root do it? He must have thought he had to force his message through, perhaps because the bowlers are disagreeing with him. Remember, two members of that attack are James Anderson and Stuart Broad, England's leading wicket-takers of all-time.
We are not talking about a big adjustment. Just a couple of feet fuller in length. Root can do certain things, like setting particular fields to encourage it, but it is ultimately up to the bowlers to deliver.
Yes, they will run the risk of leaking more runs, but it will also increase their chance of taking wickets. It is about being brave.
The bowlers can rightly point out the batsmen keep getting out for low scores and it is important to stress that Root did not excuse the batting unit from criticism.
It is also key that this sort of talk does not lead to a split in the dressing room, especially when past tours of Australia have unravelled quickly.
For bowlers, it can be frustrating seeing your own batsmen getting out cheaply when the opposition makes you spend hours running through the dirt.
Similarly, batsmen can get angry when they see their own bowlers unable to land the ball in the areas the opposition cause trouble from.
I doubt Root would have made his feelings so clear if he thought there was a risk of division in the England team, but he was explicit in saying they must learn quickly if they are to avoid having a very difficult time over the next month.
It is worth remembering that Root has said his captaincy will be defined by this tour, so he will be feeling very uncomfortable if he can see a 5-0 coming towards him.
The Ashes: Jos Buttler stands on his own stumps
What can England do to avoid it?
I do not think making wholesale changes is the answer.
Buttler, facing 207 balls for his 26 in the second innings, has probably redeemed himself. So too Rory Burns, who made 34.
Even if England did want to make changes, it would be a risk to scrap players who have had two Tests for others who have been carrying the drinks.
The one player who probably has one match to save his place is Ollie Pope, who was out for only four at the beginning of the final day. He looks skittish, uncomfortable and low on confidence.
We know Pope can bat. He is the future of this England team and it is good for him to be getting experience in Australia.
However, Root also has to be wary about any potential damage that could be done by leaving him in the firing line. Even Root himself was dropped for the final Test on his first tour of Australia in 2013-14.
We know that all aspects of England's game need vast improvement. Unless they play to their very best, they will not win a match on this tour.
They have had some time to adjust to the conditions. The batsmen will have seen how Australia have played, while the bowlers should now know the areas where they have to bowl.
Even with the series technically still alive, it would take only the biggest optimist to think England can return home with the Ashes.
Instead, the goal has to be to avoid the 5-0. If they lose the third Test in Melbourne, then that would become a huge struggle.
Jonathan Agnew was talking BBC Sport's chief cricket writer Stephan Shemilt