MELBOURNE, Dec 8 : Though 2-0 down in the Ashes after less than six days' cricket, England will put away their playing kit to take a mini-break in the south Queensland resort town of Noosa before turning their focus to the do-or-die test in Adelaide next week.

England's laid-back buildup to the tour and shunning of practice matches has been viewed dimly by old-school players who queried whether the team was ready for a pink ball match before their eight-wicket thrashing by Australia at the Gabba.

Head coach Brendon McCullum conceded team management may indeed have got things wrong, but more for training too hard than too little.

That will be remedied over the next two days in a long-planned break on the idyllic Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane.

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