Ponting: We were outclassed

Ricky Ponting's post-match team talk is not for public airing, after Australia's landslide defeat in the second Ashes Test.

But it is hard to see how he could have indulged in much more straight talking in the confines of the dressing room than he did in his subsequent press conference.

Ponting, twice an Ashes loser as captain in England but a 5-0 winner at home in between, knows his team must win at least two of the three remaining matches to get their hands back on the urn this winter.

He must be aware too that they urgently need to either identify reinforcements or somehow galvanise themselves into players who can make match-controlling totals and take 20 wickets.

It was Andrew Strauss' England who achieved both those objectives to wrap up victory on the final morning at the Adelaide Oval, on the back of Kevin Pietersen's career-best 227 and the 13 wickets shared by James Anderson and Graeme Swann.

Ponting's brutally honest verdict will confirm to his team-mates that they are currently operating way below their captain's requirements.

"There's no doubt this is a bad loss for us," he said.

"An innings and 71 runs, having won the toss on a good wicket, says it all.

"They out-batted, bowled and fielded us this entire game."