Ashes 2013 1st Test: Five things Australia can take away

Michael Clarke

3. Michael Clarke must deliver

Alastair Cook pipped his opposite number at Trent Bridge in a number of ways. Cook scored a significant half-century in the second-innings providing the team with a launchpad that allowed them to set a total.

Michael Clarke, on the other hand, failed to hold the middle order together that crumbled in both the innings leaving Australia on the edge. He scored a golden duck in the first innings when he received a beauty from James Anderson (the defining moment of the match in some ways) whereas he could only contribute 23 runs to the chase.

Australia’s batting order severely needs his runs, and they cannot win the Ashes without his contribution of 500 runs through the course of this five-match series.

Another area where he was pipped to the medal by Cook was in decision making when using the review system. Clarke had already used his two reviews when the Stuart Broad ‘dismissal’ happened. It’s an additional job that the captain needs to do on the field and Clarke would have made a note of that.