BANKER

Australia to win –

England’s record isn’t great anywhere in Australia, but it’s particularly appalling in Perth, winning just one of 13 matches there since 1970 and lost the last seven in a row.

With the WACA hosting its final ever Test, the Aussies look certain to clinch the series in what has always been their favourite venue for a bit of Pom-bashing.

Joe Root to score over 32.5 runs in 1^st innings –

Before this series began, Root passed this figure in the first innings of five of seven Tests this calendar year, and even one of those failures only saw him fall three runs short.

With two second-innings fifties to his name already, England’s captain is in good enough nick to make a more meaningful contribution at the first time of asking in Perth.

Moeen Ali to take under 3.5 wickets in the match –

Ali still only has two scalps to his name for the entire series after going wicket-less in Adelaide.

Still nursing an injured finger, he’s unlikely to have much influence with the ball in the least spin-friendly conditions he’ll encounter all series.

VALUE BET

England not to score 300 runs in either innings – 

Even when establishing a solid platform of 196/4 on the first day of the first Test, England could only crawl to an underwhelming total of 302.

Having failed to even reach 250 in their three innings since, their batting line-up is looking as frail as ever.

Mitchell Starc to be Australia's top 1^st innings bowler –

Starc has taken at least three wickets in every innings he has bowled so far and bagged Australia’s first 5-fer of the series the last time he had the ball in hand.

The extra pace and bounce he’ll enjoy in Perth will be a new challenge for England’s inexperienced top order, while tail-end wickets should be even easier to come by.

Cameron Bancroft to score under 24.5 in 1^st inns – 

Ignoring his 82* in Brisbane when England had all but thrown in the towel, Bancroft has made scores of 5, 10 and 4 so far this series.

Two of those dismissals saw him caught behind off the bowling of Broad and Anderson, so, with a bit of extra bounce to play with, England’s experienced opening bowlers ought to be able to wheedle him out early once again.

LONG SHOT

David Warner to score 150+ runs in the match – 

Warner averages 89 in five Test matches for Australia at the WACA.

He hit 60 and 112 the only time he’s faced England there and, with scores of 180 against India and 253 against New Zealand, the Aussie opener is more than capable of bringing this one home in a single innings.

England to trail by 100+ runs after 1^st innings –

England have trailed after the first innings in all of their last seven Test matches at the WACA by an average deficit of 116 runs.

Fielding what is arguably their flakiest batting line-up in all that time, history could quite easily repeat itself.

No England player to score a half-century in the match – 

Rumour has it that the Perth pitch will not prove quite as hostile as years gone by, but that will matter little if England’s batsmen keep finding ways of getting themselves out.

Only Root has hit a 50 in their last three innings, with every member of the tourists’ batting order, from Alastair Cook all the way down to Chris Woakes, failing to capitalise on promising starts.