It's different this time

England's arrival has coincided with strange times for Australia who, whatever form of the game they play, just keep losing, writes Vic Marks in the Observer.

Yet there are some strange things going on. There was a flurry of activity over the succession of the Australian captaincy, deftly laughed off by Marcus North, who was suddenly suggested as the new heir apparent. The selector Merv Hughes has got the bullet and a "professional", Greg Chappell no less, has been appointed. They seem to be following the English template. They do not usually do that.

Of more concern is the form of their senior cricketers. Against Sri Lanka on Friday Ponting was out pulling – again. Michael Clarke looks tortured and distracted. Witness his failure to complete a straightforward run-out at Sydney by trotting up to remove the bails with ball in hand. Instead he hurled it at the stumps from a couple of yards and succeeded only in hitting Shane Watson's knee. And Mike Hussey is starting to look his age and fallible.

Australia’s cricketers are driven no longer by the old certainties and are vulnerable. But it remains to be seen whether England can wound them fatally, or just superficially, writes Scyld Berry in the Sunday Telegraph.