The Ashes moves onto the third, and perhaps the most important, test of this year’s campaign, and the pressure will be on both sides. The pressure for each is entirely different with England on the cusp of winning a series in Australia – their first for almost 30 years. Australia is on the verge of losing a series to zip if they can’t find a bowling attack that is firing. Online bookmakers have England as hot favourites to win the series although the odds for the third test are a little tighter.

Australia have made four changes following their loss in Adelaide while England have made only the one change, and then only due to injury. This is perhaps the most balanced and stable English side to visit Australia in several decades – and it’s showing. Australia on the other hand have the most unstable side seen for many years.  The Perth wicket has always favoured fast-seaming bowlers so it will be interesting to see how the likes of Anderson and Swann perform.

This has been an interesting series with the bat outperforming the ball by a big margin. Bowlers have really only enjoyed three or four sessions across two tests to date and it looks to continue in the last three tests.

Online bookmakers have England at 13/8, a fraction of a point ahead of Australia at 7/4. The draw is an attractive bet at 3/1, particularly since the English only need to keep delivering draws to win the series. For the battle for the Ashes, England are almost 1/2 with the draw at 7/2 and the Australians out to 6/1.

Don’t dismiss the Australians. They have failed to fire so far, but with some of the changes made, they may just lift another notch. If they do, they can be dangerous on home soil, in particular in Perth and also in Sydney.  The Melbourne pitch looks to be a batsman’s paradise so you can almost predict a draw there. Australia to win in Perth, a draw in Melbourne, and a real pressure cooker in Sydney. At 6/1, you have to have a nibble at Australia doing the unthinkable and coming back to win the Ashes.