Defiant England coach Trevor Bayliss wants to stay despite Ashes horror show

England coach Trevor Bayliss insists he is still the right man for the job despite his team surrendering the Ashes in just 15 days after a crushing Third Test defeat here in Perth.

This is the third time in four tours of Australia that England have allowed the hosts to regain the urn by taking a 3-0 series lead. On the other two occasions — in 2006-07 and 2013-14 — England have gone on to be whitewashed 5-0.

Joe Root’s side lost their final six wickets in 34.3 overs of a rain-hit final day as they crumbled to defeat by an innings and 41 runs.

This result increases the pressure on Bayliss, especially as it is the third time in a year they have lost by an innings in an away Test after posting 400 batting first, the other two occasions coming in India last winter.

But asked if he thought he was the right man to take the team forward, the Australian, who took over in the summer of 2015, said: “I think I am. You may not. We have done pretty well over the past couple of years.

That is for people above my pay grade to make that decision. We will leave that up to them.”

Bayliss won his first series in charge — a 3-2 home Ashes success — two years ago and followed up that result with a notable series win in South Africa, who were then ranked No1 in the world.

But results overseas have been patchy, with England losing series in the UAE in late 2015, drawing 1-1 in Bangladesh last winter and then being hammered 4-0 in India.

Those results were balanced out by home series wins against South Africa and West Indies, but the prevailing feeling is that this Ashes result shows the team have gone backwards over the past couple of years.

“We won every series during the summer,” said Bayliss. “Over the past two years we’ve been on the lookout for a few positions in the team. Nobody until this tour has stood out. Dawid Malan has done extremely well at five. James Vince keeps showing he can play at this level.”

However, England have been let down by their senior players — notably opener Alastair Cook, all-rounder Moeen Ali and fast bowler Stuart Broad.

Ashes defeats usually lead to much soul-searching and calls for wholesale changes, but Bayliss does not believe there will be an overhaul this time.

“We have no plans at this moment,” he said. “I’ve not given it any thought whatsoever. We are just going to have to wait to see how these last couple of games go.

“A few guys will be disappointed with way they have gone on this tour. Some younger players have been our better players. That is the pleasing side of it. But on the other side, you’re thinking of people like Cooky? He has played the game long enough to know when it is the right time to go.”

Captain Joe Root also backed Cook — who was playing his 150th Test here but averages just 13.83 in this series — to come good.

“The fact he has done it so many times and the fact he is a very stubborn guy who likes proving people wrong — that could come into it,” he said. “As he alluded to before this game, the amount of extra work and hard yards that he is putting in behind the scenes tells me he is desperate to keep going. You wouldn’t be doing that if you weren’t.”

Root also said he had no complaints about the Perth pitch, despite a farcical start to the day that saw play delayed because the Waca groundstaff had allowed the covers to be blown off overnight.

That led to damp patches on the pitch and concerns the surface would be too dangerous for play to resume on the final day.

But Root said: “I think looking back on it now those spots didn’t really misbehave or become dangerous, so I think credit has to go to the umpires for making the right call.”

Meanwhile, Bayliss has not yet ruled Craig Overton out of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, despite the young fast bowler sustaining a cracked rub in Perth.

“It was a gutsy effort,” said Bayliss. “We have not ruled him out yet. I am sure he will be up for playing.”

Australia captain Steve Smith led by example with a career-best 239 to help his side to 662 for nine declared in response to England’s 403 all out.

Smith paid a tribute to frontline bowlers Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon. He said: “I’m just so proud of the boys. The way we’ve been able to win this series and wrap things up here in Perth and get that urn back, it’s been quite amazing.

“The [bowlers] have done a terrific job to get us the 20 wickets that we’ve needed in every game. We haven’t won a toss and we’ve probably had the toughest of the conditions as well. I’m just really proud of everyone in that dressing room.”