Melbourne: There is no such thing as a dead-rubber Ashes Test match. You are representing your country and whether you are an Australian cricketer or a touring Englishman, the prospect of playing in front of nearly 100,000 fans at the MCG on Boxing Day is reason enough to remember this.

Christmas Day might seem a strange thing for a professional cricketer to enjoy with a match looming but it really can be a pretty special time and a welcome distraction in the build-up. During my career we would have lunch at the Crown Casino in Melbourne with the families, hold a Secret Santa among the squad and the man himself would also turn for up the children.

As a fast bowler, I wouldn’t bowl in the nets that day. It is basically a top-up session for anyone who needs it. Batsmen may want an extra hit but my preference was always to have a swim, a stretch and a massage, knowing I had got my overs in during the days before and I was ready. The festivities in the afternoon were then a great way to clear minds before play starts.

But once it does, suddenly Christmas is a world away. You focus on the job in hand and, as an Aussie, that means five days of toil and sweat in the hope that you will be singing the team song come the end of the match with a few cold ones. However good the side you are in, you cannot get enough of these moments in your career. So while the Ashes have been regained, expect Steve Smith’s side to just as be ruthless here in their pursuit of another one.

My first Boxing Day Test, against the West Indies in 1996, was one to forget. A torn side after three overs left us a bowler short; we lost by six wickets and the overriding feeling was that I had let my teammates down. Injuries meant I had to wait four years for my next one and with it came a chance to make up against the same opposition.

I will never forget what followed, knocking over the top six in their second innings — including Brian Lara bowled for duck when shouldering arms to one that nipped back — for a cherished career highlight. It neither mattered to me then nor now that we were 3-0 up going into that fourth Test match of five, just as Australia find themselves currently.

That said, for all the personal goals and a target of moving one match closer to whitewashing England, it is hard to see the management risking Mitchell Starc’s bruised heel. There is so much cricket coming up, not least the one-day series in January — Eoin Morgan’s side will be competitive — and the challenge of trying to beat South Africa away in March.

The big left-armer will be pushing hard but, in my experience, those injuries can be misleading. You can do pretty much anything without feeling pain. That is until you slam the heel down in delivery repeatedly. So it all points to Jackson Bird coming in. Though a skilful right-armer, his pace is a touch lower so there is at least a bit of respite for the English tail.

Their collective plight has been the topic of debate in Australia this week after Mike Atherton’s column in the Times. The former England captain made a though-provoking argument that during the barrage of hostile bowling from Australia the umpires should have been more proactive in protecting Jake Ball (in Brisbane), and Jimmy Anderson — aka the true rabbits.

He is bang on about the law. It’s there in black and white. And so no one could complain if the umpires had, taking the ability of the batsman into consideration, deemed the bowling dangerous and stepped in. But they didn’t. And ultimately they run the game. Like the numerous other decisions they make, we need to accept their judgement here.

Certainly as a bowler, it never occurred to me to consider the ability of the batsman when bowling. Glenn McGrath led the way here against West Indies in 1995 (just before my debut) when, at his quickest, he made a point of going hard against their tail despite being not much cop with the bat himself. With their attack, it was a bold move.

Any batsman — specialist or a tail-ender — who says they enjoy facing pace is full of it. It is not nice. But England’s lower order need a better plan than what we’ve seen. Craig Overton showed the way in Adelaide when he looked to find scoring opportunities. It got him into good positions too. Far better than Anderson taking his eye off the ball in Perth and getting hit.

With limited options in the squad I can’t see England making a huge overhaul for Boxing Day but they should seriously be considering Mason Crane for his Test debut. Moeen Ali has not been effective and with the Ashes now gone Joe Root has a chance to look to the future by tossing the leg-spinner the ball. Give him some protection but, ultimately, just let the kid bowl.