England knee-deep in trouble

Left-arm spinner Ashley Giles’ broken left wrist suffered yesterday added his name to an already long injury list: fast bowlers Darren Gough and Simon Jones were forced to return home with knee injuries.

Hussain had pinned his hopes on Giles to turn the form table on Australia on a spin-friendly Adelaide surface, but now needs to put his faith on off-spinner Richard Dawson, who will play his first Test in almost a year.

“The cricket’s not been great here, its as simple as that,” Hussain said.

“There have been a lot of injuries and we haven’t done the basics right and we have to turn things around pretty soon starting with this week in Adelaide.”

“One thing you will get from the England cricket team is that they are honest and we know we’re playing a very good Australian side, (but) it’s about time we put things right and that will not come from getting down or depressed.” Veteran batsman John Crawley, who is nursing a heavily bruised hip, remains doubtful for tomorrow. Crawley was forced to retire after taking a painful blow from fast bowler Brad Williams in Hobart against Australia ‘A’ last week.

“He’s not looking good,” coach Duncan Fletcher said after the side’s final training session. “Actually (it) has got worse. He can’t put any weight on that leg.” If Crawley fails, Robert Key, who hit a defiant match -saving century against Australia ‘A’, will bat in the middle order.