Aussies stick with winning formula

Australia will go into the potentially decisive third Ashes Test at Trent Bridge tomorrow with the same team which has beaten…

Australia will go into the potentially decisive third Ashes Test at Trent Bridge tomorrow with the same team which has beaten England twicealready this summer.

Captain Steve Waugh confirmed today he will lead out an unchanged side following victories at Edgbaston and Lord's which have opened up a 2-0lead in as many games.

England must win in Nottingham to stand any chance of regaining the Ashes, while Australia need only to avoid defeat to return Down Under withthe urn.

Waugh is never one to settle for the minimum, though, and he confirmed he will be intent on victory at all costs over the next five days.

READ MORE

The Aussies will have no difficulty readying themselves for such a pivotal match, but Waugh says he and his team are always in the right frame ofmind to win a Test match.

"It is really important to treat every Test match as a special event, because it is," he said.

Waugh is happy to have Brett Lee and Shane Warne in particular returning to top form at the right time.

He believes both bowlers are capable of playing a big part on a Trent Bridge surface which has already met with his approval.

"The pitch looks pretty good. There is a good covering of grass, and it will not be an easy decision to make if we win the toss," he predicted.

Meanwhile, England were today hit with more injury worries.

Yorkshire fast bowler Chris Silverwood has been ruled out of the match with a back injury after practice.

And Surrey pace bowler Alex Tudor experienced some stiffness in his side but stand-in captain Mike Atherton said England would make a decisionover his fitness tomorrow.

The selectors will be calling in another seamer, to be named later.

Atherton said: "It is not an ideal situation, but it is a fact of life, injuries happen."

Tudor had been recalled after being out of the England side since 1999, when he played his only Test in this country against New Zealand.

Injuries have continued to disrupt England's preparations and planning for the series, with captain Nasser Hussain sustaining a cracked finger andGraham Thorpe a broken hand, while Yorkshire's Michael Vaughan has been sidelined with knee trouble.

Australian team for the third test: M Slater, M Hayden, R Ponting, M Waugh, S Waugh (capt), D Martyn, A Gilchrist, S Warne, B Lee, J Gillespie, G McGrath.

PA