On the defensive: Michael Clarke in England. Credit:AFP Let's look at Sachin Tendulkar as an example. Tendulkar has made 51 Test hundreds. He averages around 180-190 balls to make a Test hundred. The three most played shots in those 180 balls are his forward defence, back defence and that he leaves the ball alone. These three shots add up to on average 130 balls. Tendulkar is an aggressive batsman, yet around 70 per cent of his game is based on defence. His forward defence is the standout feature of his brilliant defensive game, plus his great concentration. Another underrated skill of his, along with many other great batsmen, is the ability to read length. There is no use having a great technique if you cannot read the right length to play the correct shot. Any batsman will get in trouble going forward to a short-pitched ball or going back to a ball pitched up. Great batsmen really read length well. Now I hear many of you saying leaving the ball alone is not a shot. Well it is in my view. Great batsmen know where their off stump is and make bowlers bowl to them. You do not have to hurt bowlers in their first spell. Many bowlers don't wilt until their third or fourth spells. Patience is a vital key to big scores and knowing what balls to play at or leave alone.

Since 1975, when an Australian top-six batsman makes a hundred in the first innings of a Test, Australia's winning percentage rises to 54 per cent. When none of the six reaches 100, that percentage plummets to 34 per cent. Sadly, our current top six batting line-up compares poorly to other recent eras of Australian cricket. Compared with the strongest Australian teams of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, today's top six has the lowest combined Sheffield Shield batting averages. They have played the fewest Sheffield Shield matches, have the lowest combined Test average, and the fewest Test 100s and 50s. And Australia has lost seven of its past nine games. The Australian batting line-up might lack experience, but are they doing the fundamentals right? How good are they at reading the correct length and, more importantly, how good is their defensive technique? How important to them is losing their wicket? I believe if you want to make a hundred in a first-class or Test match, you will need to keep out at least 10 good balls. Has our Australian top six got these skills? Obviously not, with recent results. The same theory can be applied to bowling. The great bowlers had an X-factor in their game. It might be speed, swing or spin. But, under pressure, they could hit their defensive line and lengths when required. Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne were no exceptions. I believe our top six batsmen need to take more pride in their defensive game. The game is bloody tough as it is and you don't need to have any negative thoughts when facing the best bowlers in the world. Your batting partner also needs to give great support to you when batting. I often would yell out loud support to my batting partners on a great defensive shot. Yes, it would irritate the opposition, but it looked like we were batting as a team.

To support Nicklaus' theory, think back to when the great Rahul “The Wall” Dravid finished his Test career in Australia. He was bowled seven out of eight innings and his forward defence let him down. Ricky Ponting always struggled with his forward defence when starting an innings, particularly at the end of his career. Matty Hayden couldn't even defend at the end of his great career as he just wanted to smash the bowlers to all parts. It wasn't these great batsmen's offensive shots that let them down, it was the defensive parts of their game. As sports fans, we all pay good money to see the X-factors of great athletes. I love watching the free-flowing football of Geelong or a Tiger Woods drive. But, let me tell you, any athlete of any sporting team of any sporting code will generally lose because their defensive games are poor on the day. I believe if any batsman can play two of the three defensive shots well, they will be successful. I honestly believe we can win this summer's Ashes with this batting line-up but their defence must improve first! * For free live scores and predictions from Prof. Deano, download the free app from profdeano.com or from iTunes.