What is the only thing worse than beating England in meaningless ODIs?

Losing to them in meaningless ODIs, obviously. Which we have now done twice, leaving Ricky Ponting's men the task of winning three games on the trot to win the 2010 NatWest series.

Ex-Caulfield Grammar boy Andrew Strauss has made a lot of comments to the effect that England has gained a lot of self-belief against Australia, and that it tries to reinforce that every time they play. On the evidence shown on the pitch that statement can't be contradicted - in fact, I think the self-belief deficit is now felt in the other dressing room.

Australia's aura is now a mirage. I would argue, in fact, that it was at this very ground, Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, that it vanished on that awful day when the ripping, unplayable spin from Marcus North, the Duke of the Doosra, inexplicably failed to remove James Anderson or Monty Panesar and allowed England to escape from what had hitherto been a train wreck for it in the First Ashes Test of 2009.

Quite simply, England has not feared us since then. And we have not given them subsequently any reason to do so, despite a triumphant 6-1 win in the ODI series that followed the Ashes debacle of 2009.

England has revamped its side - as has Australia - and has assembled a group largely untainted from the days when England was virtually beaten before it took the field against Australia. Conversely, Australia has a solid smattering of players who might have expected to inherit the aura of Australian sides of the 2000s, but who have not yet earned the right to be considered wielders of it.

So, what's going wrong so far in this series? Given that the English have chased twice, comfortably running down below-par totals for six down each time, we're not firing with bat or ball.

At the top of the order, the pairing of Paine and Watson is working, motoring to 50 without loss twice, but neither has parlayed that into going big - although Watson threatened to do so in game two. Ponting needs runs, squandering starts both times. Inevitably if he continues to do this speculation will come about whether he should continue in the ODI format. It is the same with Hussey, who also needs runs - and needs them at a quicker pace than they currently accrue. (That's James Anderson, pictured above, celebrating Hussey's wicket overnight.) If not, why don't we bring Usman Khawaja into the international fray early?

Clarke's contribution of 87 from 97 in game one was excellent, but the harsh truth is that he needed to lift the pace toward the end. Ex-leg spinner Cameron White, who chimed in with 86 not out overnight, is now the rock of the batting order in the two shorter forms of the game - and shapes as a potential Test No.6 (although the stain of his Victorian birth might count against him). From the lower order, Steve Smith was handy with the bat in the second game, but Australia is not batting with its vaunted depth - another thing that was taken for granted when the aura lived.

With the ball, we have been pedestrian, although the English batting line-up - with the notable exception of young Irishman Eoin Morgan - has not really got hold of the bowling yet. Morgan is batting with the flair and panache of a character out of J.P Donleavy - Darcy Dancer, perhaps - and is a perfect example of England's untainted youth. Why would the spell spun by Warne and McGrath aeons ago mean anything to him?

Ryan Harris and Doug Bollinger have been our best with the ball, but it has been poor apart from them. Watson simply lacks penetration. Speaking of McGrath, his hoped-for doppelganger, Josh Hazlewood, was impressive in game one despite going for 5.85 an over. The delivery that bowled Craig Kieswetter was a beauty, and it was interesting that Ponting supported him with a slip: even on debut, at 19, he was treated as a wicket-taker, which was good to see. (So he was promptly rested for game two.)

Apart from that, Hauritz, Hopes and McKay have not had much success - or fun. Smith looked good last night, but we certainly don't have an attack that is as cohesive as the English. The likes of Bresnan, Wright, and Yardy are unfashionable, but they are doing the job so far, supporting the wicket-takers in Swann, Anderson and Broad.

In particular, we will live to regret allowing Stuart Broad to scythe through our line-up so easily in that gut-wrenching spell in the final Test in 2009. In one fell swoop he went from a cricketer who thought we still had an aura to one who now thinks he has his own - and plays in a team that most definitely has one when it plays the old enemy.

Let's see how well that sits with this Australian team.