England’s predicted XI and six more questions ahead of the second Ashes Test ...Middle East

PERTH — With the shock of England’s remarkable implosion in Perth still palpable, there are big problems for head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes to solve before the start of next week’s second Ashes Test in Brisbane.

Despite winning a bizarre two-day shootout in the series opener, Australia are also wrestling with issues over injuries and selection.

So what are the big questions ahead of the start of the day-night Test at the Gabba on Thursday week?

Just how do England approach the rest of the series?

This is where McCullum and Stokes will have to come into their own.

With so much of elite-level professional sport down to mentality, their relentless positivity should help the players get off the floor.

Interestingly, Stokes spoke about that defeat needing to “hurt”, presumably in the hope the pain causes a massive reaction.

The catastrophic collapse that cost England the first #Ashes Test pic.twitter.com/DolUzVrGQq

But there must also be work on the technical side of things, with England’s batters surely having to come up with a workable gameplan for Australian conditions.

Being ultra-aggressive is a decent option, as Travis Head showed.

But driving wildly outside off stump – the same shot that cost so many in Perth – is not the way to go.

They have to be more calculated with the bat and pick their moments to go hard.

As for the bowlers, the wolf-pack mentality they showed when routing Australia for 132 in their first innings shows they can cause real damage in this series.

Why are they not playing the pink-ball warm-up in Canberra this weekend?

England have announced that three fringe players from the Ashes party – Jacob Bethell, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue – have been added to the Lions squad for the two-day pink-ball match against a Prime Minister’s XI.

But the rest will travel to Brisbane on Wednesday, where they will start preparing in the Gabba nets from Saturday – six days out from the Test and two days earlier than planned.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan said not using the Canberra game as an Ashes warm-up would be “amateurish”.

But former Aussie batter Stuart Law has explained why it would be a waste of time, saying: “I wouldn’t want to bat in Canberra and then go to Brisbane. You’ve got a ball bouncing knee high and then you’ve got a ball bouncing at chest height. It doesn’t really do you too much good.”

How are Australia’s Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood doing?

Pat Cummins says he has “half a chance” to play in Brisbane, with coach Andrew McDonald adding on Monday they will make a late decision on whether to include their captain, who is returning from a back injury.

Yet with Australia ahead in the series, they seem unlikely to risk Cummins.

Josh Hazlewood meanwhile will not play. McDonald has denied reports the 34-year-old’s hamstring injury would put him out of the whole series. But his return date is unknown. It’s one bit of good news for England.

Will Head open now for the rest of the series?

With Usman Khawaja’s golf exploits – he played 18 holes on all three days leading into the first Test – seeing him suffer back spasms that meant he could not open in Perth, Head is now being considered an option at the top of the order for the rest of the series after his brilliant final-day century during Australia’s run chase.

That would presumably see Khawaja, 38, dropped.

And it would allow the hosts to fit another all-rounder into their line-up in Beau Webster or, if they were feeling adventurous, go all Bazball and pick either the big-hitting Mitchell Marsh or Josh Inglis in the middle order.

Are England likely to make any changes?

They are almost certain to stick with the same XI.

Opener Zak Crawley is under pressure after his pair in Perth. But England will keep faith with a player they see as suited to Australian conditions.

It's an incredible catch by Mitchell Starc Crawley bags a pair of ducks. Watch #TheAshes LIVE on TNT Sports and discovery+ pic.twitter.com/ku1hTD1gxf

One upside of losing so quickly is the bowlers did not over-exert themselves so the same five-man pace attack will go again.

What are their chances at the Gabba?

If you look at history, not good. England haven’t won in Brisbane since 1986.

There was also the “moral victory” of 2010, when they scored 517 for 1 declared in their second innings to draw. Other than another rain-assisted draw in 1998 they’ve lost on seven of their last nine visits.

Australia, meanwhile, have won 13 of their 14 day-night Tests, although their one defeat did come at Brisbane against the West Indies last year.

England’s predicted XI to face Australia in second Ashes Test

What are conditions expected to be like?

Hot, humid and with evening storms potentially interrupting play.

But with the humidity significantly aiding swing and a pink ball under lights, it could be carnage.

The match could well be a lottery, with the team that gets the best of conditions likely winning.

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