England Ashes squad could be about to set another unwanted record

England will set an unwanted record if they lose the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne.

Trevor Bayliss' side go into the Boxing Day clash having lost their last seven away Tests - three in this series and four in India last winter.

That equals their longest ever losing run on away soil, which spanned 1993 and early 1994 as India, Sri Lanka and the West Indies inflicted a procession of thumping defeats.

The struggles for the team captained by Michael Atherton began with an eight-wicket defeat to India in Kolkata in January 1993, with Mohammad Azharuddin making 182 while spinners Anil Kumble, Venkatapathy Raju and Rajesh Chauhan combined for 17 wickets.

That was to prove a theme in the back-to-back innings defeats that followed, Kumble taking six for 64 in Chennai and seven wickets in the match in Mumbai for a series total of 21 wickets at 19.80 while Raju added 16 at 29.25. Vinod Kambli hit 224 in Mumbai while the Chennai Test saw centuries for Navjot Singh Sidhu and a teenage Sachin Tendulkar.

Sri Lanka, relatively new to Test cricket at that stage, extended England's dismal run of touring form into March by winning the one-off Test in Colombo by five wickets. Jayananda Warnaweera took four wickets in each innings, and Muttiah Muralitharan four in the first innings.

If spin had been the problem on the sub-continent, though, it was the West Indies' fearsome pace attack which destroyed England in February and March of 1994.

Curtly Ambrose led the way, though Kenny Benjamin took a Test-best six for 66 to help the Windies open up with an eight-wicket win in Jamaica on the back of Keith Arthurton's century.

The second Test went the hosts' way by an innings and 44 runs as Ambrose took eight wickets in the match and Benjamin seven, while Brian Lara and Jimmy Adams made hundreds in their side's total of 556.

England had a golden chance to end their slump in the third Test, when Andy Caddick's six for 65 helped set up a chase of just 194 - but it quickly all went wrong.

Ambrose dismissed Atherton with the first ball of the innings, Mark Ramprakash's run-out left England one for two and Alec Stewart's 18 was the only double-figure score as they were skittled for 46 inside 20 overs, with Ambrose (six for 24) and Courtney Walsh (three for 16) the only bowlers used.

The win finally came in the fourth Test in Bridgetown as Stewart scored 118 and 143 while Angus Fraser took eight for 75 in the first innings and Caddick five for 63 in the second. England will need similar heroics in Melbourne if they are to avoid an eighth straight loss.