Disappointed Australian captain Michael Clarke has admitted that they are no more players at their disposal to pick for the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval, saying that he has only a few options to overcoming Australia's familiar trend of batting collapses.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Australia lost 8-56 in less than two hours to blow a promising position in the fourth Test and finally losing by 74 runs, handing England a 3-0 series victory in the Ashes with a match to play.
However, the report further said that the top order was not to blame unlike the previous Tests, with Australian openers David Warner (71) and Chris Rogers (49) steering their side to 1-147 midway through the fourth afternoon, only 152 short of the victory target, although they were bowled out for 224, with six scalps taken by Stuart Broad.
Stating that his team was still coming to terms with the blown opportunity, Clarke said that although it is difficult for the selectors to pick a new Ashes squad for the final Test as players are not scoring as much first-class runs as needed, they are doing a fine job as they have tried their best to pick an team they thought were best for the conditions.
Even though Clarke believed that the selectors were picking the best players, he however, said that they have to continue to show faith in young players in Australia as selectors cannot just drop a player if there is no one better to take their spot, although he added that his side is playing the best oppositions like England now and South Africa next year.
According to Clarke, the selectors need to keep the faith and try and get the best out of the players that they have chosen, adding that they are being outplayed at the moment by England.
Believing that his side needs to have time to let their loss sink in, Clarke also said that even though his players had plenty of time to train and prepare before Durham, they still lost, although he added that they have to keep working hard in the tour game at Northampton.
