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Why Australia has struggled in the Ashes

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Why Australia has struggled in the Ashes
Things have gone horribly wrong for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 in the ongoing Ashes series. By the virtue of their dismal batting performances in the Adelaide and Melbourne Tests, the Kangaroos find themselves on a verge of another Ashes defeat.
Apart from an emphatic 267-run win in the cauldrons of Perth, the home team hasn’t been able to gear up for the rest of the challenge, and they have been completely outplayed by an in-form England team.
Batting chaos
The Australian batting has collectively failed on more than two occasions. In the first Test on a beautiful batting wicket at the Adelaide Oval, the hosts endured their worst start to a Test in 60 years when they found themselves at 3 for 2 in 2.1 overs.
However, a stirring fight-back from Michael Hussey steered Australia to a modest first innings total of 245 runs. Considering the lifeless surface in the second Test, it wasn’t enough for the home team to secure a result in their favour. However, England
mustered a mammoth 620-run total, which proved sufficient for them to secure a win as the Kangaroos crumbled for 309 runs.
In the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia was bowled out for a poor first innings score of 98 runs. It was always going to be difficult for the hosts to make a comeback, especially after a dismal batting display.
Furthermore, England piled up a massive first innings total of 513 runs in order to put the opposition under pressure. Overcoming a mammoth 415-run lead was always going to be a difficult task for a struggling batting line-up. The Baggy-green side folded
for a modest score of 258 runs, and as a result the visitors retained the urn.
Leading from the front  
Leadership is one of the crucial aspects of the game and the captain of the team should lead by example. A skipper plays a sheet anchors role in the team and mentally guides them to play as a unit. In that regard there has been a clear difference between
the performances of Andrew Strauss and Ricky Ponting.
Strauss has been able to lead his side from the front. In the four Test matches, the left-hand batsman has racked up 247 runs at an average of 41 with one century.  At the same time, his deputy Alastair Cook has mustered 547 runs at a remarkable average
of 115.40 with two centuries. In addition, Cook’s tally of hundreds includes a best of 235 not-out in Brisbane.
On the Contrary, Ponting has failed to set high standards for his team to follow. The Australian veteran has only gathered 113 runs at a poor average of 16 with one half-century. Meanwhile, Vice-Captain Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 has failed to make an impression with
the bat.
Moreover, Clarke has scored 148 runs at a modest average of 21 with a solitary fifty. Apart from his competent 80-run innings in Adelaide, where he failed to save the Test match for the Kangaroos, the right-hander hasn’t been able to kick off in the rest
of his outings.
No proper Spinner
After the retirement of a champion spin bowler like Shane Warne, Australia are struggling to find a competent spinner, who can take a bunch of wickets in the fourth innings of a Test match in order to secure a win.  
Xavier Doherty made his debut in the first Test and was a surprise selection ahead of Nathan Hauritz. Doherty was dropped from the side after the first two Tests, scalping just three wickets at an average of 102. However, Nathan Hauritz has been a solid
performer at the elite level and has taken 63 wickets at a decent average of 34. He would have been a sensible choice as a premier spin bowler.

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