The Australian media has said that current batting slump of captain Michael Clarke is a rite of passage which is experienced by every modern Australian captain.
Clarke is facing one of the toughest challenges of his career as he seeks to iron out the cracks in his once near flawless technique after not making a score above 24 in his last 11 Test innings.
According to Telegraph.com.au, however, this slump has been experienced by every major captain from Greg Chappell to Ricky Ponting, adding that Chappell publicly pleaded with the selectors not to drop him after a string of ducks against the then mighty West Indies pace attack more than 30 years ago.
The report mentioned that one of Australia's finest batsman and captains, Chappell is part of an unbroken line which currently sees Clarke experiencing his own barren streak of going 11 innings with a top score of 24 after centuries in the opening two Tests of the Ashes series earlier this winter.
Allan Border, who dragged Australia from the depths during the mid 1980s, went four years late in his career without a century, due in part because as the team improved he increasingly declared on himself.
The report further said that Mark Taylor and Clarke have something in common, their flat spot average is 18 while Steve Waugh went 16 innings without a hundred as captain and later in his career, Ponting spent two years and 33 innings searching for triple figures.