GEORGE DOBELL IN MELBOURNE: With both teams having lost a game in the Super 12s already, whoever loses at the MCG is facing an uphill fight to qualify for the semi-finals
Matthew Mott has suggested England will keep faith with the same team for their crucial match against Australia.
The England coach admitted he was "stunned" by his side's defeat to Ireland on Wednesday (October 26). But although he accepted his side were "tentative" and he found the lengths England bowled "frustrating", he suggested the pre-tournament plans would not change after one "bad day".
Australia and England are scheduled to meet at the MCG on Friday (October 28). With both teams having lost a game in the Super 12s already, whoever loses is facing an uphill fight to qualify for the semi-finals. There is, though a strong chance that rain could again intervene.
"I don't think there will be any changes," Mott said. "And I don't think it's likely we'll change the batting order.
"We've played really solid cricket over the last month. We had a bad day yesterday but we're not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Rain and a lacklustre display undid England in Melbourne (WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)
"I really like the balance of our team. We have got to keep backing that. One bad performance, you can't reinvent yourself overnight. We have got to back that and probably execute a bit better.
"We'll have to look at how the bowlers pull up. But it's just business as usual. We'll go through the training session and see who's pulled up well but it's very unlikely we'll change the structure of the team. There might just be a change or two depending on how the bowlers pull up.
Rain forced England to train indoors in Melbourne on the eve of the game. While neither Chris Woakes or Mark Wood was expected to attend, both are understood to have come through Wednesday's game without issue.
England are sure to play Wood against Australia if he's fit. But Woakes ensured a disappointing match against Ireland, conceding 41 from three overs, and looks the most vulnerable should a change be made. David Willey and Chris Jordan are the most likely options to replace him if required though Mott was sympathetic to the bowlers' struggles in Melbourne.
"Ireland played the conditions really well," Mott said. "I think maybe they were more suited to that. They certainly swung the ball a lot from the start.
ENGLAND'S T20 WORLD CUP SCHEDULE
October 22: Afghanistan (Perth Stadium) - won by five wickets
October 26: Ireland (MCG) - lost by five runs (D/L/S method)
October 28: Australia (MCG)
November 1: New Zealand (The Gabba)
November 5: Sri Lanka (SCG)
"It was frustrating [watching England bowl]. But without making excuses, it was quite greasy last night when we bowled. The bowlers did all have trouble with their footing. It was quite obvious that they were slipping. It does make it a little bit difficult to execute exactly what you want to do.
"But they admitted that after the game: we got our lengths wrong and Ireland made us pay."
Mott did also accept that England could have been a bit more flexible with their batting order against Ireland. While Moeen Ali, who looks in super touch at present, was able to score 24 from 12 balls with four boundaries, the rest of the top six managed only four between them. In retrospect, Mott admitted, Moeen and Liam Livingstone, who is currently batting at No.7, might have come in earlier.
He also accepted that, with the threat of rain looming throughout the England innings, it was a mistake to drop behind the DLS rate.
"We have those conversations all the time on the bench," he said. "Sometimes in those sliding doors moments as captain and coach you think of a lot of things and you've got to pull the trigger.
Moeen and Livingstone only faced 14 balls between them (TREVOR COLLENS/AFP via Getty Images)
"I thought the intent was there yesterday and clearly there were some tricky conditions. Had they been patting the ball back it would have been a bit different but there was genuine intent and unfortunately they just couldn't get their hands on it.
"But when you see Mo come out, he's a highly skilled player, and just whack it like that there's some things we would have done differently, definitely.
"We knew rain was about. But you don't want to get preoccupied with that. They have still got to play what is in front of them. If you get too complicated with that messaging you lose three or four wickets and are behind anyway.
"As a batting group, we didn't quite adapt to when we weren't hitting the ball well. We need to take our medicine, make sure we turn the strike over and learn from yesterday.
"Rain is going to play a huge part in this World Cup. Teams just have to adapt. We had all the aces last night: we won the toss; we had the advantage of chasing and we just didn't execute. When you get opportunities like that you can't miss it."
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