Updated
All for the team ... Bell doesn't care where he bats, as long as he contributes to England retaining the Ashes. (Getty Images: Hamish Blair)
England batsman Ian Bell says he has had no discussions with team management about a possible promotion up the order for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
Bell, batting at number six, top-scored for the tourists with a first-innings knock of 53 in what was a demoralising 267-run loss in Perth that levelled the Ashes series at 1-1.
While team-mate Paul Collingwood has looked increasingly uncomfortable in the number five spot below Kevin Pietersen, Bell says he is not bothered about where he bats as long as contributes to the side.
"It's always nice to get moved up the order, I mean, whether that happens or not for me is irrelevant for this series," he said.
"I think it's nice to be contributing to the team, but whether I move up the order, to me it doesn't really matter as long as we're winning the next two Test matches.
"That's the most important thing to me - contributing to this team and winning the Ashes."
Once famously labelled "Shermanator" by Shane Warne, Bell has done well to shrug the tag of an apprehensive batsman out of his depth with an ever-improving record against Australia.
The 28-year-old has 11 half-centuries in the Ashes, including three this series, but it yet to crack three figures.
"I'm desperate for an Ashes hundred, I'm hoping the way I'm playing there is one around the corner," he said.
"My performance are becoming better under pressure against Australia and I'm starting to show the type of cricketer people saw in my earlier stages.
"I think I've improved a hell of a lot over the last 18 months. I'm desperate to keep improving.
"I'm certainly not happy with where I am at the moment, I want to keep kicking on.
"I definitely want a hundred, a few of them to be honest."
Bell said while Australia has wrested the momentum at the WACA, England has played the better cricket over the course of the series and a good start in Melbourne could see the contest flipped on its head again.
"We've had a blip in Perth. We knew Australia at some point were going to play some very good cricket and some great individual performances," he said.
"So we had a good opportunity to sit down and talk about what happened.
"But out of the three Test matches we have been playing the better cricket. We have to start the Test match well, we don't want Australian winning the first hour or the first session.
"It would be great to win that first session up to lunch, whether we are batting or bowling, and try and take a bit of momentum ourselves."
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