Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne [Images] starts the third match of the Ashes series just six wickets away from 700 in Tests and with his team mates gunning to deliver the knockout blow to England [Images].

The hosts go into the game in Perth 2-0 up, needing one more victory to win back the trophy, and Test cricket's leading wicket taker will be centre stage once again after his match-winning performance in Adelaide last week.

"There was a bit of a negative outlook on what he did in the first innings [in Adelaide] but that came from a lot of thoughts within the team to keep England and particularly [Kevin] Pietersen in check," Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist [Images] told reporters.

"He did the work and took the blows to his ego and was at his absolute brilliant best in the second innings. The view from behind was fantastic. That is why I play the game.

"He'll have 700 in his mind. It's inevitable. It's one of the two or three greatest achievements ever in the game."

Australia captain Ricky Ponting [Images] was still pondering the decision of batsman Damien Martyn to retire after the second Test.

"I was really shocked and really surprised by it all," Ponting said.

"I am as close to Marto as any of the guys in the team probably, we are really good mates, and I must admit I really didn't see it coming at all.

"When I sat back and digested he had retired I just thought 'Why not give it just one more week?'," Ponting said.

"You would have had a home Test match. The chance to win the Ashes in this Test match was there. I guess it was the timing thing more than anything that was the big surprise for me.

"We have all tried to be in contact with him as much as we can over the past few days, and he is pretty aloof at the moment, pretty hard to get hold of."

Martyn's place in the Australia team has taken by all-rounder Andrew Symonds [Images].