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Not in Australia's wildest dreams would they have imagined they'd find themselves leading two-nil in this historic rivalry following just only six days of cricket.

They were placed under severe pressure by the tourists in the first Test at the WACA, then pulled off an incredible reversal.

It put them on a wave of confidence heading into the Brisbane encounter, where they delivered England a lesson in how to play Test cricket, especially pink-ball matches.

A Critical Juncture

The contest remains alive, however, it's not far from it. Should England don't win the third Test, the situation could become embarrassing.

I gained an intimate view of England's approach during the last Ashes series on English soil. Despite all the talk regarding this trip being their chance to finally win a victory down under, there was considerable scepticism in this country concerning the manner the English team performs.

Would England's batting be appropriate for the pitches in Australia? Would they play aggressive strokes and discover methods to get out? Would they crumble when pressure mounted of the big moments?

Right now, all of the Australian observers who expressed doubts about England are seeing their views right.

Attitude and Accountability

There is much I like about England's attitude. I appreciate it when athletes compete fearlessly, because that helps them to extend the limits of potential.

But I don't like the notion that external pressure or expectation needs to be removed. Elite performers thrive under pressure, and the best teams hold each other to account.

"Yes, there were the coaches like Bob Simpson and John Buchanan, but it was the captain and senior players who always ran the team environment."

Even when a young player, I felt like I was allowed to voice my opinion. Every player assumed responsibility of the team.

Subsequently, should a player deviated of line, they were held consequences by the other players. If an individual committed an error on more than one occasion - an uncommon occurrence frequently - they were addressed.

A Winning Formula

Our team contained several dominant characters - none bigger than the great Shane Warne - yet we collectively believed that what we were doing served the team and for each other. Matthew Hayden used to say we pulled together due to the affection we had for each other, such was the duration we had as a group.

That accountability, obligation and adaptability collectively manifested when we stepped on to the field as a team.

Admittedly, these factors are easier when a team is winning, which England are currently not experiencing right now.

A Culture in Question

My concern regarding England was the message of "this is the way we play" yielded a culture that lacks accountability.

It seemed as if England had concluded conditions had to adapt to their game, instead of England adapting their strategy to the prevailing conditions.

Ultimately, following the result of the loss in Brisbane, it appears the penny has dropped.

Both Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum acknowledged problems exist, and they need to do something about it.

I hold no problems with what the English leadership made publicly after the Brisbane Test. If Stokes and McCullum have been strong in the media, you can guarantee they have been even stronger in private meetings.

A New Version?

Will we now see a new version of Bazball? Like I said, I support the element of competing without fear. Provided England can add the ingredients of pressure and accountability, then they might still be on a viable formula.

Despite the fact England have been criticised, Australia merits a huge amount for their performance.

Had England had been told they would play an Australia team without all of Pat Cummins, Hazlewood and Lyon, they would have been rubbing their hands with glee.

And yet, Australia pulled off a win at the Gabba with all of their other players standing up.

Australian Standouts

Mitchell Starc has proven exceptionally brilliant, ably assisted by Neser, Boland and Brendan Doggett.

Wicketkeeper Alex Carey delivered an absolute masterclass with the gloves, arguably the finest wicketkeeping performance I've ever seen - and I played with Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist.

Maybe the most significant revelation from an Australian perspective has been the shift in the batting order.

Before the series, when there seemed to be a lot of debate about the Australia line-up, I said there was essentially just one question concerning one position - batter Usman Khawaja's batting partner.

That discussion is now resolved, just not in a way anyone predicted.

Settling the Order

From the moment Travis Head stuck his hand up to open following Khawaja's injury in Perth, Australia have looked transformed. Now, there seems to be the opportunity for Travis Head and Jake Weatherald to cement themselves as the opening pair.

Khawaja might find it tough to get back in, although Australia coach Andrew McDonald has indicated he might feature at number five.

Injuries and the Adelaide Test

Injuries will result in English speedster Mark Wood and Australia's Josh Hazlewood will miss the third Test and the remainder of the series.

This represents an unfortunate situation for both men. I understand how much hard work it is to bowl fast, the effort involved in coming back from setbacks, and how eager both would have been to play a full part in this series. They will be devastated.

Adelaide will provide a good pitch, with something in it for batters and bowlers alike. Australia will certainly recall Lyon and it looks like Cummins will return to lead.

The Final Word

Australia will remember how England recovered from 2-0 down to draw the previous series. They will know England are dangerous.

This time, they have England by the throat and should not relent merely because some big names are coming back. They must avoid get complacent.

An Australia team should always think it can win each match it plays, so for that reason this squad ought to be aiming for a five-nil whitewash.

England understands they have no choice to reverse their fortunes at Adelaide. Failure to do so, could indeed lead to 5-0.