UK view: England living in the 1990s but 2014 marks beginning of new era A dejected Alastair Cook after Australia wins the fourth Test in Melbourne. ENGLAND'S capitulation to the Aussies this summer is reminiscent of the 1990s, when Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Co. completely had the Poms' measure. That's according to the UK press, which is holding out hope the New Year - and New Year's Test, more specifically - will mark the beginning of a new era in English cricket via the blooding of a number of debutants who represent the future of the game in the Old Dart. Martin Lipton of the Daily Mirror writes:"A new year has dawned. Down Under, though and England are trapped in the 1990s. Meltdown in Melbourne was no surprise. It was merely the sequel to Awful in Adelaide, Battered in Brisbane and Pathetic in Perth. Questions will be asked about Alastair Cook's captaincy but England's problems are more deep-lying than merely the leadership of the team. It's not rocket science. It's basic arithmetic. England's first innings scores against Australia in 2013. In nine Tests, only two first innings leads. The Guardian's Mike Selvey offers: "You need a bushfire to generate regrowth and England have been burnt. ... while such an overwhelming defeat has been hard to stomach, on and off the field, particularly after the good times, it also could herald exciting times ahead - as we are seeing, for example, with the new generation of Indian batsmen now the old stagers have finally gone." Paul Newman, of the Daily Mail , agrees now is the time to usher in the new breed. "There is no question that England would be right to throw Gary Ballance, Boyd Rankin and Scott Borthwick into their team now to see if they can emulate Ben Stokes in making an immediate impact at the highest level," Newman writes. What is there to lose? If England are serious at this being the start of a new era with new ideas then there is little point in the likes of Monty Panesar, Chris Tremlett, Tim Bresnan and Michael Carberry playing here at the SCG. Sadly, their Test days look numbered. The Telegraph's Derek Pringle took issue with the England training regime on New Year's Day, saying: "Instead of practising their batting and bowling with renewed zest in a final attempt to stave off an Ashes whitewash, England dispensed with traditional net practice and opted instead for a high-energy fielding session on the outfield. Once that was completed they decamped to State House for a function with Tony Abbott, Australia's sporty Prime Minister. The decision to ignore their batting and bowling two days before the final Test, was made before they celebrated New Year's Eve at a party near Sydney harbour. It left a poor impression, which was only amplified when they arrived more than an hour late for their 8.30am practice slot at the Sydney Cricket Ground. England players were reportedly an hour late to training on New Year's day. Former England captain Mike Atherton was succinct in his assessment in The Times: "With a 4-0 scoreline and potential for a whitewash, it feels as though a great depression has fallen on English cricket." While Scyld Berry of The Telegraph said the fifth Test was an opportunity for England to set the tone for future series: "Five times previously England have found themselves in their current plight, going into the last Test of a series in Australia 4-0 down and facing a complete wipe-out. If this precedent is a guide to the fifth Test in the coming week, the overall evidence is encouraging for England - up to a point. Twice England have succumbed to the ultimate humiliation. Three times they have rallied and won that final Test - saving face and, no less importantly, setting themselves up for the next Ashes series in England.