2nd Test- Thursday, 2nd December

Former England captain Michael Vaughan reveals his thoughts on the Ashes series currently taking place in Australia to the BBC and with questions from the public.

Put yourself in Australia captain Ricky Ponting's shoes. What would you have been saying to your players as they conceded 517 runs for only one wicket?

I would tell them that this game is a fresh start. I would talk to them about how they managed to bowl England out for 260 when the ball was doing a bit. And I would be thinking that I needed the ball to go off the straight and narrow a bit in this Test. I would not want it to go dead straight - I would be needing it to swing a little bit. If it does that, I would fancy I would have an attack that could put England under pressure. Ryan Harris is the best bowler in Australia. It is just a question of whether he is fit enough to last five days on a flat pitch.

In the light of some dubious umpiring decisions in the first Test in Brisbane, do you think there is a case for each side having more review options?

No. I think two is about right. At the moment it allows the umpire to get on as normal, and you have to use them quite wisely as a captain. Ricky probably got it wrong in Brisbane - it was almost an emotional decision to take that review against England counterpart Andrew Strauss in the second innings. Strauss has got it right - he takes his time, and so far he has got all his decisions right. I like the fact too that the current system takes away the howler. You do not really get an absolute stinker any more.

Have either England or Australia got the bowling firepower to take 20 wickets in Adelaide?

A lot comes down to runs in first innings. If we get a big score I think Swanny will twirl his magic, and Jimmy Anderson will get a bit of reverse swing. It really is about using scoreboard pressure. We need big runs in the first innings. If we do that it takes the game deeper, more footholds will be created, Swann will have more to aim at. Can you win if you lose the toss? It is more difficult, but it is possible. There is more grass on the wicket than normal, so it might do more than at any other point in the game - you could end up having them four or five down at lunch if it goes your way.

Do you think England can still win the Ashes even if Graeme Swann continues to struggle in Australia?

Probably not. I think Swanny has to come to the party.

Should England stick to their four-man attack or have five bowlers because Australia's ease of runs in the second innings?

I think four is fine at the minute. I do not think four would have beaten the old Aussie team, but four can certainly match the current side and put them under pressure. Our batting order is so packed that we should be able to get enough runs. If we do, we have got a great chance.

Hi Michael, I hear many people saying that Marcus North will probably keep his place in Australia's side because he bowls some part time off-spin which adds 'balance' to the team. What are your thoughts? Is it important to be able to turn to a 'batsman who bowls a bit' during a Test? How did you feel when you were asked to do it? Was North getting rid of Strauss on Saturday similar to your 'Tendulkar moment'?

I do not think so. He is primarily there to score runs, but his off-spin may come in useful here. They will potentially have two spinners while we will only have one. If they win the toss and get a big score, North could come into play with his off-spin. As for my 'Tendulkar moment', I do not think so. It was hardly a great ball - Strauss just ran past it!

Do you believe that Eoin Morgan deserves a chance to play against Australia sometime in this series?

I think there would have to be a huge loss of form - and probably England losing a game - or an injury to make a change. Otherwise I do not see Morgan coming in.

Do you think Andrew Strauss would be content with simply retaining the Ashes through a drawn series, particularly given the supposed weakness of the current Australian side?

No. I think this England team, against this Australian side, has to win out here. To do something deemed special England have to win out here. And they have got a great opportunity.

As a keen follower of spin bowling, I was wondering which English spinner you enjoyed captaining the most? And, with the exception of Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, who was the best opposition spinner you faced?

I only had two for England - Ashley Giles and Monty Panesar. I did not have Swann. I enjoyed both Giles and Panesar - they offered different skills. Giles is probably a slight favourite, because of what he brought during the Ashes in 2005.

The best I faced? Probably New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori, because he was a smart bowler. He had a great change of pace, and he could vary things beautifully.

Hi Michael, how confident were you going into the start of the 2005 series? And what was your favourite moment in that series?

I was confident at the start, and then we went 1-0 down, so I was not as confident! My best moment would have to be that last afternoon at the Oval, knowing we had won.

You were known as one of the most inventive captains to have played for England. Which were your most successful plans?

Probably in 2005, restricting the Aussies from hitting boundaries. We made sure that we packed the field where they wanted to hit their boundaries, stopping the likes of Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden from getting off to a flier and restricting them and frustrating them. They were forced to play different shots, and that created chances for us.