Former Australian Test bowler Glenn McGrath has said that it is time for the Australian team to play with 'a bit of pride and passion' in the third Ashes Test if they want to have a chance to regain their almost-lost Ashes hopes.
The Guardian reports that even though McGrath is still optimistic that Australia can 'pull something out of their Baggy Greens', he however, advised his former team to believe in themselves and go into Old Trafford genuinely believing that they can beat England and continue to play in the way that they did at Trent Bridge.
Hoping that the hammering Australia received in Lord's have given them the necessary 'kick up the backside', McGrath said that the team now needed to battle their way through with pride and passion and not take things lying down, adding that it will be pointless turning up in Manchester otherwise.
According to McGrath, it was good to see Australia get a few scores down at Sussex in the tour match after the struggles of the batting line-up in the first two Tests, adding that the bottom line is that they are playing at international Test level so they should know their games very well by now.
McGrath also believes that the a possible selection of batsman David Warner, with his 193 in Pretoria, for Manchester may be a risk worth taking as he has got a few runs on board even though facing the South African attack is not the same as facing James Anderson, Graeme Swann and other English bowlers.
McGrath also hoped that all-rounder Shane Watson will respond well to the criticism that he has received, adding that even though he has a lot of potential, he needs to show it in the next three Test matches and also needs to use the opportunity of the fact that there is a little possibility of him getting out LBW at Old Trafford.
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However, McGrath feared a change to Australia's bowling attack due to James Pattinson's injury, saying that with the pitch up at Old Trafford already cracked and looking like it is going to turn, there will have been a lot of debate over whether to play two spinners before deciding who should replace Pattinson.
But McGrath backed coach Darren Lehmann to help the team with their game and with themselves as individuals, adding that as a dominant team like England will never feel sorry for their opposition, Australia need to keep their focus and their game constant without a single misstep.