As the countdown to Edgbaston begins, the Australians are pondering on different issues ahead of the crucial third test. With Brett Lee ruled out and the dismal form of Mitchell Johnson, Australia will have to rely a lot on their rookie fast bowlers– Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle for making early inroads into the formidable English batting. Above all, the main cause of concern will be their batsmen playing against Andrew Flintoff, who has been a menace for Australia right through this Ashes series.

Though everyone lauds the effort of Flintoff at Lords, we cannot forget the fact that his performance against the right-handers has been a blot in his resume. In his 12 Ashes Tests, He has picked up 42 wickets out of which only 18 have been the right-handers. Out of that 18 wickets, there were only 6 specialist batsmen. The current Australian XI consists of 6 lefties, which is an apparent advantage for Flintoff.

The best strategy to combat Flintoff will be mixing up the right-handers at the top of the order and including Shane Watson ahead of Marcus North. Watson will be handier than North in English conditions, as Australia will be desperate to seize a win in order to stay alive in this series.

Tags: Andrew Flintoff, Ashes, Australia, England

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