The Ashes: Bob Willis says Michael Clarke must bat at number three

Australia have been outplayed in every department in this Ashes series so far and things don't look particularly good for them, especially now that seamer James Pattinson is out injured.

Swashbuckling

Andrew Strauss and Michael Atherton, meanwhile, delivered a masterclass on how to open the batting during last week's Test at Lord's but I have to say that the best openers I ever faced were Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes. The West Indies duo had terrific defence against the new ball and, once they'd played themselves in, the ability to take the attack to their opponents and play in a swashbuckling, Caribbean style. They must be one of the most productive pairings of all time. The keys to opening, though, are to have a rock-solid temperament and the talent to absorb pressure - it is not as easy as Joe Root is making it look - and only a few out-and-out smackers (Virender Sehwag comes to mind) have succeeded in that position. I don't think an opening bowler has to be quite as mind-focussed as an opening batsman, but you don't want to be wasting the new ball, so you do need to use your brain when trying to take opposition wickets. You have to think about what you are doing, adapt to conditions, and work out whether a batsman is primarily a front-foot or back-foot player and adjust your length accordingly. Test cricket is a thinking man's game and not many unintelligent people have prospered in it. Catch the third Test between England and Australia, live on Sky Sports Ashes HD from 10am on Thursday, August 1.