Five issues England need to address in wake of Jonathan Trott's Ashes tour exit Jonathan Trott's absence will be felt by England. JONATHAN Trott's exit from the Ashes series leaves England with a number of major areas to address ahead of the second Test in Adelaide, beginning next Thursday. The focus to date has rightly focussed on Trott's stress-related illness and the recovery process. But the England brains trust of Andy Flower and Alastair Cook will already be pondering the ramifications Trott's exit will have on their squad and how best to fill his sizeable top-order void. We take a look at five issues the tourists must address if they are to rebound from their resounding defeat at the Gabba and defend the Ashes. Trott's success against Australia Even taking into account his lean performance at the Gabba, Trott has proved a constant source of frustration for the Australians. He has scored three centuries and three half centuries across 12 Tests against Australia at the robust average of 48.26. More impressive than the raw stats, however, are the circumstances in which he has compiled his runs. His contributions of 41 and 119 on debut at The Oval four years ago effectively batted Australia out of the final Test and sealed the Ashes for England. And his unbeaten 135 in the second innings at the Gabba four years ago helped rescue the tourists from a perilous first innings position and set them up for a huge win on foreign soil. Trott's absence will be felt. Gary Ballance in action during an England tour match. Rookie replacements England are not exactly overflowing with seasoned replacements for Trott. Of the reserve batsmen/all-rounders on tour, only Jonny Bairstow boasts Test experience (12 matches for an average of 30.22). Batsman Gary Ballance and all-rounder Ben Stokes - both 24 - have yet to play a Test for England. A debut at Adelaide would no doubt prove an intimidating experience with Australia 1-0 up and sensing the end of their four year Ashes drought. It remains to be seen whether England's selectors expand their squad by calling in more experienced back-up in the wake of Trott's departure. Certainly, the make-up of the England XI for the tour match in Alice Springs will now provoke plenty of interest. Trott's role in the England machine Trott has played 49 of England's 50 Tests since making his debut in 2009 (a shoulder injury ruled him out of the third Test against India at Edgbaston in 2011). In that time, England has amassed a formidable record of 26 wins, 11 losses and 13 draws and spent much of that time ranked atop the world Test rankings. Much of England's success can be attributed to Trott's consistent presence in the top-order and the certainty and stability he has created for those around him. The selection issues are two-fold: identifying a ready replacement for Trott and rearranging the batting order accordingly. This is never a pleasant task for any team. For a team beset with form, injury and consistency issues, it could prove difficult in the extreme. Kevin Pietersen leaves the field after being dismissed during day four of the first Ashes Test. England's recent batting wobbles Batting inconsistency has plagued England of late. The tourists have failed to reach 400 in 18 consecutive Test innings - they lost 20 wickets for 315 across both innings at the Gabba - and have relied on their slick bowling unit to remain competitive. Compounding those form problems are injuries to Kevin Pietersen and the out-of-sorts Matt Prior. And then there's Alastair Cook. Save for his outstanding series in Australia three years ago, Cook has averaged 27.60, 24.66 and 27.70 in his other Ashes campaigns. The England captain has proven himself a redoubtable character over the course of his 98-Test career. That said, his captaincy tenure has coincided with a period of England dominance. Just how he responds to the dual pressures of opening the batting and captaining a squad under pressure remains to be seen. Mitchell Johnson celebrates a wicket in the first Test at the Gabba. The WACA is looming ... England have managed just a solitary Test victory at the WACA from 12 attempts (their only win, in 1978, came during a series in which Australia struggled mightily without their World Series Cricket stars and lost 5-1). And given the aversion the tourists' top order showed towards short-pitched bowling at the Gabba last week, the WACA Test could prove a chastening experience for a team already behind in the series. England have lost their past six Test matches at the WACA. That includes the 2010-11 series, in which the Australians managed a 267-run triumph in Perth during a series otherwise defined by England's three innings victories. Mitchell Johnson, Australia's wrecking ball at the Gabba, thrives at the WACA (36 wickets at 19.66 in five Tests) and will no doubt prove a handful on a surface expected to provide plenty of bounce and carry. The tourists have just two games to prepare themselves for their next Perth examination on December 13 - a tour game in Alice Springs, beginning on Friday, and the Adelaide Test on Thursday week. Hardly an ideal preparation for an under-fire and recalibrated batting line-up.