Ponting expects to cop a hammering at home

Ricky Ponting, who is in danger of becoming the first Australian captain to lose the Ashes in nearly 20 years, has conceded that his side "may cop a hammering" if the urn stays in England. But he was quick to dispel speculation that a series defeat would be the end of an era for this Australian team.

Speaking to AAP, Ponting said his side would be justifiably criticised if they failed to win the fifth and deciding Test at The Oval.

"We set very high standards for ourselves and if we lose this series then I'm sure we'll cop a bit of a hammering -- maybe we should," Ponting said. "We've given it our best shot. We haven't been good enough just yet, but we've got one game to change everything."

Ponting was also adamant that a loss here wouldn't mean the end of the careers of several players. While the future may remain bleak for Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz, Ponting told The Australian that no player in the team was on trial in this match.

"I wouldn't like to think that anybody is playing for their career in this game, certainly that hasn't been mentioned at all," Ponting said. "But probably most of the guys in this side haven't performed as well as they would have liked throughout the summer.

"If we lose one series I'm not sure that it's the end of an era in Australian cricket. If we had been outplayed in the series then all well and good, but I'm sure this team will bounce back if we happen to lose."