Australia legend Shane Warne believes that Alastair Cook's captaincy faces a "defining moment" in the third Test of The Ashes.
The hosts lead the series 2-0 heading into the next encounter in Perth - where they could end a run of three consecutive Ashes defeats - following a comfortable 218-run win at the Adelaide Oval on Monday.
The omens are not reading in the favour of the tourists, who have lost on their last six trips to The WACA and will have to deal with the in-form bowling of Mitchell Johnson on Australia's fastest surface.
"It's hard to see a way right now where England can come back," Warne told Sky Sports News. "They don't play very well in Perth, and Australia are on a roll and they do play well in Perth.
"It's going to be fast and bouncy, and quick, we've seen Mitchell Johnson thunderbolt, so unless something changes really quickly for England - let's all hope it does - unfortunately I can only see one result in Perth.
"England have got to show they're up for it and I hope Alastair Cook eyeballs every one of his players and says 'are you up for it? What have you got? Have you got your best game in Perth? Are you ready to play and take these guys on?'. That has to be him, so it's a real defining moment for me, to watch Alastair Cook do that and the players, the experienced players, need to stand up."
The third Test gets underway at The WACA in Perth on December 13.
Matt Cotton
