Australia coach Darren Lehmann finds his team's narrow defeat against England at Trent Bridge hard to to take. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Australia's specialist batsmen are under strict orders to shape up in time for the second Test at Lord's, which begins on Thursday.
The tourists fell narrowly short of a surprise victory in the Ashes opener on Sunday at Trent Bridge, where the shortfall in runs at the top of the order twice had to be bailed out by non-specialists lower down. That is a telling factor not lost on the tourists' coach, Darren Lehmann, who has left his batsmen in no doubt they must do better.
Ashton Agar, on debut and batting at No11, came to the rescue with a remarkable maiden contribution of 98 in the first innings after the top order struggled, and Australia collapsed to 117 for nine.
Second time around, after an improved collective effort by the first five, wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin still top-scored from No7 ? and needed major assistance from those even further down the list to get so close to a ground-record Test target.
Lehmann did not shy away from the obvious as he assessed his team's successes and failures in Nottingham.
"Our tail has done really well over a period of time now but it's time for the batters to make sure they're making the runs," he said. "I think we only batted for 64 overs in the first innings and 110 in the second.
"We've got to be reversing that, batting for 120 overs plus in the first innings of a game and making our runs there."
Principal among those who found life difficult at the crease was Ed Cowan who, even after a spell with Nottinghamshire earlier this year, was out first ball to put Steven Finn on a hat-trick first time round and then fell to part-time off-spinner Joe Root at his second attempt.
"He's had a tough game," said Lehmann. "Like everyone, you've got to make runs and perform. We've told Ed how we want him to play and how we want him to bat ? we picked him to do a role. He'll be disappointed with the shots. So are we. We're trying to learn and get better. I'm sure he'll get better at that as well."
Lehmann is nonetheless at pains to point out that the 14-run margin between the teams is indicative of their relative merits and Ashes prospects this summer.
"I think they're quite close ? a lot closer than people give them credit for, both sides. So the key for us is to make sure we're playing better. I still don't think we performed to the level we want to perform at. If we do that then we'll be good enough.
"We've certainly got to bat better as a top order. We're going to bowl very well, and we know we can control their batters. It's just a case of making more runs.
"I just thought we missed a chance probably in the first innings with our top order.
"I know conditions were tough, but we had to get through that. They're the areas we can improve on."
Lehmann chose a questionable phrase to stress Australian intent for the rest of the series, following David Warner's bar-room behaviour in Birmingham last month. But his point was clear, that the tourists are here to fight for possession of the Ashes on the pitch. "We're going to keep punching them, we'll keep coming back at them all the time," he said. "We've shown enough, that this is going to be a really close series."
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