Poor shot selection is Strauss's undoing

I was hoping to offer some crumbs of comfort, however meagre, this morning.

But I am really struggling to find them after another terrible day for England in Brisbane.

The England management is already attracting criticism for an apparent lack of preparation, with only one first-class match before this first Test.

But that is not an observation you can make with any certainty until the Test match is over, so I'll limit myself today to two remarks about England's batting.

England must have discussed which shots to play and which to eradicate on Australian pitches.

So it was disappointing to see the normally dependable Andrew Strauss get out pulling a ball from Glenn McGrath that was angled across him.

The pull is a difficult shot to execute well on bouncy Australian surfaces unless, as Ricky Ponting demonstrated so ably, the ball is coming straight on to the body.

That allows the batsman to manoeuvre himself inside the line of the ball and on top of the bounce.

Since Strauss had to fetch the delivery from McGrath from outside off stump, he was never in full control and the ball flew in the air.

It was an example of why many Australians favour the cut shot, either getting right on top of the bounce or deliberately getting underneath it so the ball flies safely over the slip cordon.

But Strauss's stroke, with two men placed in catching positions deep on the leg side, was criminal, even if Australia's fielders did their best to collide before Michael Hussey clung on to an excellent catch.

Tomorrow is a massive day for the England selectors, when those of us with doubts about their batting and selection policy can be proved wrong.

Geraint Jones and Ashley Giles need to make runs to justify their inclusion in the side.

That may seem a harsh situation for a wicketkeeper and spin bowler, but Duncan Fletcher's belief in their capability with the bat is precisely why they were chosen ahead of Chris Read and Monty Panesar respectively.

My Ashes blog is also published here: http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/ashes/

Please send me comments for aspects of the series you would like to debate.