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Australia keen to inflict more pain on England

Stand-in Australia captain George Bailey says it will be a special moment if his team can deliver the blow that consigns England to their worst ever losing streak.

England’s nine-match losing run is just one shy of the marks they set back in 1993 and 2001.

Should Australia win Friday’s one-dayer at the WACA and Sunday’s clash in Adelaide, England’s tour Down Under will be remembered as one of their lowest moments in cricket.

Bailey said his team took great satisfaction from seeing their arch enemy struggle, and promised not to let up with the record within reach.

“It’s not that you need any extra motivation to try to win a game. We’re all desperate to be out there and winning every game we play,” Bailey said.

“But any time you have an opportunity to write history, that’s pretty special as a team.”

England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler said he and his teammates would do everything they can to avoid being part of the country’s worst ever losing run.

“We’re very desperate to avoid that,” Buttler said.

“It’s not a tag anyone would like.

“Everyone is professional and knows you have got to be confident and have the belief if we are going to be any chance of winning a game.

“A lot of confidence has taken a hit from some tough performances on this trip.

“But everyone is professional enough to try and put that behind them and put in a performance to win a game of cricket for England.”

Bailey declared he was “100 per cent” ready to go for Friday’s clash despite battling a hip flexor injury.

Australia lead 3-0 in the best-of-five series, with Darren Lehmann’s men surging to the top of the ODI rankings following India’s loss to New Zealand on Wednesday.

But with Australia opting to rest skipper Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Shane Watson and David Warner in Perth, England fancy their chances of breaking their tour duck.

“It probably is their best chance (of victory),” Bailey conceded.

“But having said that, I reckon our team is still pretty good. I’m not that fussed about what England think or how they’re going.

“It’s been a hell of a summer and we won’t be coming in nonchalant or complacent .about what’s ahead of us.

“I think we’re playing a brand of one-day cricket that’s really exciting and reinvigorating the game to some extent.

“We are playing with a lot of freedom and aggression.

“Hopefully that’s a combination that can set us up for a really good tilt at the World Cup.”

Australia will drop back to No.2 in the rankings if they lose to England on Friday.

Australia: George Bailey (capt), Mitchell Johnson (vc), Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, Steve Smith, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Pattinson, James Faulkner, Dan Christian.

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