Ashes 2013: How Big Are the Cracks in England's Batting Lineup?

Following the rain-affected draw on the final day at Old Trafford, which meant England retained the Ashes with an unassailable 2-0 series lead, Australia coach Darren Lehmann was quick to point out frailties in England's batting lineup.

The Telegraph reports Lehmann believes his side have exposed a weakness in England's game, a fragility they will look to pressure when the fourth Test starts in Durham on Friday.

The best result Australia can now hope for is a series draw, following the rain-affected fifth-day stalemate in Manchester, but that will require them to win the final two Tests. Former Aussie batsman Lehmann, though, is convinced his side showed enough determination and fight to be confident they can still avoid defeat.

Lehmann was quoted as saying in the Telegraph:

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The first two Tests, (Joe) Root got a big hundred and (Ian) Bell's made a couple - but we've shown a couple of cracks in their batting, which is exciting for us as a bowling unit.

At the suggestion he must be talking specifically about England captain Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Jonny Bairstow - all of whom could do with a few more runs - he added: It's not just those three. We have some great ideas about the other eight batters - which is good.

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But just how big are these "cracks" in England's batting lineup? Are they big enough for the host nation to worry about a comeback from the buoyant Aussies?

First things first, as Lehmann pointed out, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott have not had the best of series with the bat, although Cook did contribute with a timely four-hour 62 during his first innings in Manchester.

Trott and Bairstow, too, have notched 50s during this year's Ashes series, but, like their captain, have failed to capitalise on a good starts by going on to make a century.

Cape Town-born Trott, famous for his slow and methodical approach with the bat—something which has been an integral part of England's makeup over recent years, but has on occasion been labelled "boring"—has averaged just 20.33 during this series.

Two second-innings ducks, whilst not uncommon as a batsman attempts to get his eye in, have been down to Trott's apparent inability to play aggressive cricket. Australia's bowlers have been able to get on top of him, and that is something that will need to change if Trott is to restore his authority and hit a big score required of a No. 3 batsman.

Ahead of the third Test, Trott told Sky Sports that he was happy with his form:

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Sometimes you score runs and you're not feeling at the top of your game. I feel like I'm playing pretty well and it's been nice to get a couple of good partnerships, like with Belly at Lord's in a tricky situation, I suppose, at 28 for three.

We put on 99 and he went on and got the big score that I would have liked. But there are still three games left and personally it would be nice to contribute in a similar way. Anybody can get out quite early in their innings, I suppose.

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Quite the opposite to Trott's reserved cricketing style is that of Bairstow's, who has been guilty of losing his wicket this series simply because he has looked to be too aggressive with bat-in-hand.

All too often, the Bradford-born 23-year-old has gone after the ball, when leaving it would have been the more sensible option, allowing Aussie keeper Brad Haddin to snaffle the ball away following a thick edge.

This is not necessarily a problem Bairstow, or England for that matter, have. Taking away a player's aggression can more often than not be a hindrance; they are unable to freely express themselves with the bat and suffer as a direct consequence.

Kevin Pietersen is a standout example of a player who often gets himself into greater trouble by battling his natural attacking instincts.

Aggression is a key component to a cricketer's arsenal, but Bairstow still needs to learn when is best to go after a ball and when the leave is the better option.

In comparison to a number of England's top order struggling with the bat, a few of the Australians have surprised with their batting prowess—Ashton Agar the obvious example.

Youngster Agar produced that quite brilliant 98 in the first-innings knock at Nottingham, whilst others such as Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle have scored runs.

Despite that, cricket is a numbers game, and the numbers say the hosts have put more runs on the board than their counterparts so far this summer. A mammoth 527-7 on a relatively forgiving wicket at Old Trafford, whilst impressive, should not overshadow that Australia's own batting performance, including their monumental collapse for 128 at Lord's, is under just as much scrutiny as England's.