BIRMINGHAM: Australia coach Darren Lehmann has said that captain Michael Clarke will get as “long as he needs” to come out of his batting slump.
Scores of 10 and three during Australia’s eight-wicket defeat by England in the third Test at Edgbaston — a result that saw the tourists go 2-1 behind in the five-match Ashes campaign, left Clarke with a meagre series aggregate of 94 runs in six innings at an average of under 19.
Following a match that was all over inside three days of a scheduled five, Clarke confronted his own failings by suggesting Australia were playing with 10 men.
But Lehmann believes the class that has seen Clarke score 28 Test hundreds has not deserted his skipper. “He’ll get as long as he needs, he’s captain,” said Lehmann. “We’re not going to panic, that’s for sure. But he’s got to play well.”
England captain Alastair Cook has challenged his side to end their frustrating inconsistency by winning two Tests in a row and regaining the Ashes at Trent Bridge.
Since drawing their series opener against the West Indies in Antigua in April, England have been unable to string two wins together in their subsequent seven Tests in 2015.
Friday’s victory came on the back of a 405-run defeat in the second Test at Lord’s, which in turn followed England’s 169-run success in the first Test in Cardiff.
Should the sequence be maintained, England would regain the Ashes 3-2 with a win in the series finale at The Oval.
But Cook, understandably, would rather England headed to south London 3-1 up — and believes they can do even in the absence of injured fast-bowler James Anderson. “We have got to be tough on ourselves as players and get ourselves absolutely spot on for that game,” said Cook.
