England awoke on Monday morning to the mocking sound of rain on their hotel window panes in Perth - but Andy Flower was in no mood to mope about what might have been in the third Test.

Flower told it straight as he reflected on the tourists' 267-run series-levelling defeat before lunch on day four.

It is unlikely perhaps that unexpected bad weather could have saved England at the WACA, but a little more batting backbone - they were bowled out twice in under 100 overs - might have made it interesting.

However, the England coach is already much more concerned with how to put things right for the fourth Test at the MCG, saying: "That's just reality. We lost in three-and-a-half days - we can't get away from it. So we move on to use our time as wisely as possible."

England know the routine, of course, from recent experiences - having had to drag themselves back from a landslide defeat at Headingley last year to clinch the Ashes at the Brit Oval.

"This was always going to be a fight, and it would have been naive to think otherwise," Flower added.

"Coming to Australia to win is a huge challenge - we knew that at the start. We played some very good cricket in the first two Tests, but didn't here - and were outplayed."

"The cricket we've played on this tour so far should stand us in good stead.

"The one defeat we've had on tour was here in Perth, and it was a bad defeat for us.

"But we are quite comfortable sticking to the principles we've used for the six weeks on this tour so far.

"They've served us well, and will continue to do so."