With the Ashes long gone, and nothing more to gain apart from morale and respect, Australia must use the 50-over games following the fifth Test to restore some confidence and positivity.
Sure they seem rather meaningless given the urn has been relinquished, however winning some cricket, regardless of format, can only be a positive.
The one-day series can also foster confidence in some potential Test player, such as Joe Burns, James Pattinson and Glenn Maxwell.
Australia have performed well in one-day matches that have made up recent Ashes tours, both when the Test series has been won and lost.
Prior to their loss in the 2005 Ashes series away from home, the Australians managed to win the tri-series against England and Bangladesh.
In 2009, Australia again floundered away from home in the Test matches, losing the series 2-1, however they took some heart from dominating the 50-over series, winning six of the seven matches.
Back home in the summer of 2010-11, a shattering Ashes defeat – which included three defeats by an innings – didn’t phase them in the limited overs arena, a 6-1 series win once again.
Over the course of back-to-back Ashes series in 2013-14, the Aussies also won six games to just two overall.
Australian cricket is at a low point right now, and the first step to undoing some of the damage is to win the fifth Test at The Oval.
However, with confidence and belief needed, winning games of cricket and continuing to be the dominant ODI force following the World Cup is essential.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
Marcus Stoinis produced his first IPL century and it was a beauty. He went 6, 4, 4, 4 to finish off the Lucknow Super…
The Aussie needed every centimetre of his height and reach to reel that one in!
Royal Challengers Bengaluru needed 21 off the final over...but after three sixes, a caught and bowled and a run out, Mitchell Starc's Kolkata had…
Jake Fraser-McGurk smashed the fastest 50 of the IPL season and the fastest in Delhi Capitals history. But it still wasn't enough as Sunrisers…
Test great Steve Smith is to play for Washington Freedom in the second season of Major League Cricket as the Australian influence in the…
Nathan Lyon has revealed his disappointment that Australia's cricket chiefs have prevented him from playing his first full season of county cricket in England…
