Do not underestimate the loss England face with Stuart Broad ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes.

The fast bowler misses the final three Tests, something that may have been underplayed amidst the triumphalism of an innings victory in the second Test.

Yes, England have been by far the better side in the last seven days' cricket and Broad had only two wickets at 80 apiece.

But the all-rounder is a linchpin of the squad - a key player in all three forms for over two years - and a match-winner when he gets it right. At Brisbane and Adelaide he had bowled very well without the rewards and no doubt would have torn through the home top order at some point in this series.

Such is England's dominance that few have paused to question his absence. Excitement is forward-looking; like kids waiting for Christmas, the Pom supporters want the next hammering to arrive as quickly as possible - and their belief is unwavering.

But the drawn match in Victoria offers food for thought. At Hobart early in the tour Chris Tremlett, Ajmal Shahzad and Tim Bresnan all excelled. Last week they all struggled, let down by the tourists' worst fielding since arriving a month ago.

For Perth the choice should be between Tremlett and Shahzad. Rarely does Bresnan look good enough for a four-man seam attack and, after England's last two batting displays, shoring up the tail would be mindless.

Graeme Swann can bat eight at this level if he behaves and though Shahzad would be better than Tremlett at nine it is worth remembering that the other seamer is 21-year-old - and presumably knackered - Steven Finn.

All three candidates are relative Test novices (nine caps between them) but Tremlett has by far the best and deepest first-class record. Just as Monty Panesar is a reassuring sight as a back-up spinner, so Tremlett is the man who looks most trustworthy from a distance.

The thing is, it has never been that way close up. Tremlett gave the Indian galacticos batting a real working over in his previous Test outing in 2007 yet was promptly exiled. Whatever the perceived mental or personal problems, these should now be put to bed or the Surrey bowler should never have been picked for this tour. With his height and his experience, and Philip Hughes to open for Australia at the WACA, there will never be a better time for a recall.

As for Broad he is expected back in time for 2011 World Cup despite missing the rest of this series. His reassurance speaking recently is a late contender for quote of 2010: "I hope to be back. The thing about that World Cup is that it goes on for years."

Peter May