ASHES: How Australia should line up for the second Test?

Few Australians dared to move their seating position or go to the toilet for the good part of two hours last night as our cricketers attempted to pull of one of the most incredible comebacks of all time.

And thanks to a spirited James Pattinson and a determined Brad Haddin, it almost came off.

However, the bitter reality was that regardless of the thrilling efforts from our lower order batsmen and bowlers in both innings, Australia lost the first Test. And they just weren’t good enough at times.

Australia fel short of England in almost every aspect of the game throughout the four-and-a-bit days, and will now face an almighty mountain over the next month in their quest to return the urn as a result.

Australia failed to get the runs required.

The proverbial finger can hardly be pointed at Haddin or Pattinson, or any of the lower order who wagged with one of the strongest tails we’ve seen in many years.

Responsibility falls solely on the top-order batsmen who could not handle the English bowling lineup – falling for the tactics employed by the likes of James Anderson in particular, and Graeme Swann secondly.

Given that it was our batsmen who succumbed to the pressure applied by England in the first Test, it is more than likely going to be our batsmen who are forced to make the most changes before the second Test. After all, our bowlers were the only reason the final score was as close as it was.

So what changes are likely to be made by the Aussies for the second Test? Who should they drop and bring in? And perhaps most importantly, how will those changes affect our chances of success? Australia has won more Tests at Lords than at any other ground and has lost just one match there since 1934 – both of which should give Australia plenty of confidence heading into the second Test.

Let’s take a look at the lineup that Australia should field for the second Test, and the one that’s most likely to level the Ashes series on the hallowed grounds of Lord’s.

1. Shane Watson
Watson might not be everyone’s favorite name at the top of the batting lineup, but the reality is that he continues to be a very good opener. He got out to a pressure-filled shot in the opening inning, but his 46 in the second inning showed that he is capable of handing whatever England throw at him. Arguably our best player of the new ball, Watson simply must be included in the second Test.

2. Chris Rogers
Playing in what likely felt like a second debut, Rogers was solid without being all that inspiring at the same time. He looked good in the second inning, particularly his selection of balls to play and leave, when he was able to spend some decent time in the middle. Given his county cricket resume, Rogers deserves to be given some time in the middle and show what he can do in relatively familiar playing conditions. Australia hasn’t picked a 35-year-old so that he can run drinks on to the field all week; expect him to retain his spot for the second Test.

3. Usman Khawaja
Welcome to the first big change and it’s Ed Cowan who’s made the scapegoat for Australia’s failures – something that few fans will dispute after another dreadful performance. Cowan’s past year and a half simply hasn’t been up to scratch and his time to start getting opportunities must be up – creating a spot which Queensland batsman Usman Khawaja is the most likely to fill. Khawaja played under Lehmann last year with the Bulls and had a very solid year – so much so that Lehmann declared him to be one of the six best batsmen in the country. He is a solid option at first drop, with his reputation of handling dangerous attacks on difficult wickets likely to get him the nod at Lord’s.

4. Michael Clarke (C)
Given his history of runs over the past two or so years (and the fact he’s captain), there’s little doubting that Clarke’s spot in the team is incredibly secure. The only real question is as to what position he should be batting at, with many believing the New South Welshman should be coming in at No. 5, where he had played historically. Phillip Hughes is currently in that position and while Hughes could push up to No. 3, Khawaja is the best option at first drop. That leaves Hughes at four or five, and given his county experience as well, it’s not a bad option to have Hughes coming in during the latter stages of the inning when the old ball (or second new ball) could cause some problems. That leaves Clarke to come in at four, where he averages over 50.

5. Phillip Hughes
Had Ashton Agar not stolen his spotlight in the opening inning, Hughes would likely have gotten a lot more attention for his performance against a very difficult bowling attack. Even still, his 81 showed that he has what it takes to deal with the English pace attack and overcome the old ball that the likes of Anderson and Finn can start to move in both directions. Hughes has forever flown under the radar, but with a number of good performances to his name, definitely deserved to hold on to his position in the team

6. Steve Smith
Hard to drop Smith given he and Hughes were the only reason that Australia’s battling lineup could hold some credibility after the first innings. Got a good ball in the second inning as well, and will more than likely hold down the No. 6 spot. Didn’t bowl in the first Test but could very well be used for an over or two depending on how the tricky conditions at Lord’s play out.

7. Brad Haddin (vc)
Haddin’s 71 in the second inning was nothing short of exceptional. And while his superb knock will be the main focus of his performance in the first Test, the reality is that Haddin still finds himself under plenty of pressure. He was poor behind the stumps and got next to nothing in the first inning, and while the VC next to his name will help him stay in his position, he is by no means a long-term guarantee in the Test team. Haddin’s stand-and-deliver batting style can be incredibly hit-and-miss, but it’s hard to fault him too much when it works as well as it did in the second innings. Barring injury or rotation, it’s hard to see him missing a Test for the remainder of the year.

8. Peter Siddle
Ryan Harris is knocking on the door of the Australian team and probably deserves a look-in at some point this series. However, it’s hard to drop Pattinson and Starc given that that pair is Australia’s first-choice bowlers and it’s very hard to drop Siddle after he took more wickets than any other Australian bowler. Siddle was excellent in the first innings – picking up huge wickets when Australia needed them most – and refused to stop running in at a hundred miles an hour when things weren’t going according to plan in the second. He is a fighter and one of the most determined cricketers in the Australian team. Which, when he picks up wickets as well, makes him very hard to not pick again.

9. Ashton Agar
If Agar showed us anything in his debut performance, it’s that he isn’t a No. 11 batsman. His 25 in the second inning was excellent as well – hanging in there until a beauty from Anderson got the better of him – and he’ll definitely earn himself another Test appearance as a result.

However, he will come into the second Test under plenty of pressure (both with the bat and the ball) and it’s worth playing him after Siddle just to try and relieve some of that pressure. Australian spinners (including the great Shane Warne) have taken just 13 wickets between them in the last three Ashes tests played at Lord’s, and Agar may very well find the conditions tough to find success on as well.

He could be dropped for Harris to give Australia another quick, but it’s likely that Watson will provide cover as a fourth “pace” bowler – ensuring that Agar holds on to his spot, which he definitely deserves.

10. Mitchell Starc
Starc is the future of the Australian bowling lineup, and while it’s hard to completely measure just how high his potential is, he’ll definitely grow a lot by playing two Ashes series in the space of six months at such a young age. The youngster showed he deserves to take the new ball alongside Pattinson, with his 3/32 in the second innings particularly impressive given that all three came against high-order batsman. He’ll benefit from the tricky conditions at Lords, and if he can stick with the tactics and plans that Australia develop for the second Test, should see more wickets fall his way.

11. James Pattinson
Pattinson’s heroics might have been with the bat in the second Test, but was also equally impressive with the ball in hand. His 3/69 in the first innings – including a great ball to dismiss Cook – showed just how good the paceman is as a front-line bowler, and just how effective can be at the forefront of Australia’s attack. Pattinson should find extra kick and life in a Lord’s pitch that saw both Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting on the wrong end of Steven Harmison one year. He’ll be ever dangerous and troublesome, and is certainly a handy batsman to have coming in at No. 11.

Is that the lineup you’d field? What changes would you make; who would you bring in and leave out? Be sure to share your opinions and thoughts in the comments section below.