5 Things Australia must do to bounce back in the 4th Ashes Test

The Ashes rarely ends as numbers. It ends as mental scars. Sometimes, the English bear those scars and sometimes the Aussies do. It always ends the way it starts, like a battle. Sometimes, the English find heroes, sometimes the Aussies do. It ends with many tales from the arena. Sometimes the English have more gladiators, sometimes the Aussies do.Now, England lead the Ashes 2-1. They are perched on a pendulum swing of wins and losses. Won against West Indies. Lost against West Indies. Won against New Zealand. Lost against New Zealand. Won against Australia. Lost Against Australia. Now, they’ve won against Australia and most English dread the next result like a foregone conclusion.Alastair Cook dreads the result, for although Australia were scarred in the third Test, Cook would know, another 75 runs on the board, and Australia would’ve made them sweat, then bleed, then surrender. Maybe. Maybe, not. Australia have a truckload of problems, not to mention a hint of dissent for the first time under Darren Lehmann who had lifted them from an abyss into a side that bullies once again, while also walking the talk. Brad Haddin’s drop hasn’t been taken nicely.Peter Nevill has made matters tough already by doing what Haddin hasn’t been doing for a long time. Michael Clarke is like a cornered tiger but with a bad back and shoes stuck inside concrete slabs. Australia has problems.But, this Ashes has been such that either one of the two teams has looked like world-beaters and the other a grave loser. England were in a similar position a Test ago, losing by more than 400 runs. Here are a few things Australia could try to get their mojo back.

#5 Shaun Marsh for Adam Voges

Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh sit on the sidelines of the 3^rd Test

It will be unfair to Voges, but Australia need more spine in that batting order especially with Clarke shaky like a man walking on a block of ice. Mitchell Marsh still doesn’t have the threat which Watson in form possesses, but the Watson in form is as rare as a comet sighting.

Australia need to beef up the batting and if that means experimenting with the senior of the two brothers, so be it. At the moment, Australia’s 1,2 and 3 look okay but their 4, 5 and 6 don’t look like they have big innings in them.

Peter Nevill showed some steel late in the third Test which makes him untouchable. That only leaves Voges under scrutiny and he hasn’t done enough to really play ahead of Marsh who could be bad, but should at least be given a chance to be fair.

Marsh only averages 36 in Tests and 41 in 5 Tests in the last 12 months, but he is the only specialist batsman in the side available for trial by fire. So, now would be the time after Voges’ scores in the three Tests read 31, 1, 25, DNB, 16 and 0.

#4 Bowl on one side of the wicket

Josh Hazlewood’s consistent line has previously been the undoing of many batsmen

Before they practice swing, seam movement and variety deliveries, Australian bowlers should ace in one department – bowling on one side of the wicket. They failed excruciatingly in the third Test where the pressure was almost always released with a boundary ball every over.

Ian Bell took a liking to Starc’s half-volleys, on the pads or wide outside off stump. England showed how it is done with James Anderson and Steven Finn picking six-wicket hauls by bowling disciplined lines.

Josh Hazlewood, who has one of the lowest Test averages over the last 12 months, doing even better than Anderson and Dale Steyn has been off-colour losing his McGrath-like aura. But the young bowler, destined for greatness, shouldn’t try so hard to pick wickets and instead focus on what made him a success – bowling unwaveringly in the channel. That will benefit Australia in more ways than one.

#3 Peter Siddle instead of Starc/Hazlewood

Peter Siddle bowling for Australia in the tour match against Derbyshire

Mitchell Starc missing out of the team almost looked unthinkable a few weeks ago, especially after Starc became the best ODI bowler in the world. He started with a five-wicket haul but has trailed away ever since. That was also the only innings when his bowling figures were better than Hazlewood. Since then, Hazlewood has been better than Starc in every game.

England are still wary of Starc, but Starc is partially responsible for England getting away in the third Test, unable to consistently bowl line and length. Australia have one attacking erratic bowler in Mitchell Johnson. They cannot afford two such bowlers.

Peter Siddle would make things steady on one end. He is not short of heart either. If Australia need more fire, Siddle could come in for Hazlewood. One way or the other, Australia need a workhorse who can plug one end up, so they could attack with Johnson on the other end, or Nathan Lyon or Starc if he is playing.

Mitchell Marsh showed that he is battle ready, but can he bowl those long testing spells? I think not.

#2 Drop Clarke to No.5

Captain Michael Clarke’s poor run of form has been a major cause of concern

It’ll seem like a backward step, maybe a cowardly step too. But No.5 was always a happy hunting ground for Clarke and there is no reason why he could not go back there and find some form. If he can smash a ton from here, the backward step will be forgotten and the runs will be remembered.

There are two reasons why it makes sense for Clarke to go to No.5. Right now at No.4, he is in a little too early. His scores of 38, 4, 7, 32*, 10, 3 show that he is clearly uncomfortable when the ball is still new, getting dismissed in single digits thrice. It will help him if there is a decent foundation to work his form and find it.

He is clearly having trouble with anything that is moving a little bit. Shaun Marsh has played up the order in the past and if he comes in at No.4, Clarke might find himself some breathing space. The second reason is that Shaun Marsh at No.4 will separate the two right-handers Smith and Clarke. That will give the bowlers something to think about, helping to continue the right-left combination.

#1 Give Mitchell Johnson a free license

Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson of Australia converse during Day 3 of the Third Test

Johnson admitted, somewhere after those two scintillating deliveries that got Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes within the span of three deliveries, he was keener to dry up the runs. That shouldn’t be his department. He is not the guy who stops runs. Josh Hazlewood needs to do that, selflessly.

Johnson should only run in and bowl those brutes at English batsmen. Australia need them now more than ever and Australia need the rest of the bowlers to help Johnson in achieving that. Clarke cannot afford to use Johnson as a restrictive bowler. He needs to give Johnson every opportunity to strike with short leg, square leg, deep square leg and a series of slips.

Johnson turned the match in the second Test and almost looked like doing so in the third but Hazlewood and Starc were going at more than 4 an over on the other side. Another massive strategic blunder was how late Johnson was brought to the attack when Australia had just 120 runs to defend.