Australia's fast bowlers under pressure to produce result in first Test against Sri Lanka

AUSTRALIA'S bowlers must finish the job they started yesterday.

Mitchell Starc

AUSTRALIA'S bowlers must finish the job they started yesterday.

Failure to force a result in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Hobarts Bellerive Oval will leave Australia without a victory in the opening four Tests of the summer. 

This unfortunate scenario has not happened for 26 years, when Mike Gatting's England claimed two wins and forced two draws in the opening four Tests of the desultory 86-87 Ashes series.

That was during Australias nadir, when it won just one of 20 Tests during the mid '80s.

Clarke's captaincy has been far more vibrant than that, winning three and drawing two of his first five series as captain.

But Australia hit a road block against the powerful South Africans and needs to regain momentum against Sri Lanka if it is to mount serious challenges on difficult tours of India and England next year.

Australia's top order finally got its act together in Hobart following the return of Phil Hughes in place of the retired Ricky Ponting.

Now its bowlers must follow suit.

There were days in every Test against South Africa where the bowlers underperformed.

That's how the summer started, with Australia claiming just two wickets on the opening day of the first Test in Brisbane.

The bowlers roared back on the last day at the Gabba to put South Africa under pressure, but with the Saturday rained out there was no time to force a result.

And in Adelaide Australia needed six wickets on the last day to win the second Test but could manage just four.

If fast bowler James Pattinson had not broken down earlier in the match there is every chance Australia would have won, but they didn't.

Fingers were pointed at spinner Nathan Lyon, who claimed just three wickets in 50 overs during the second innings.

And opening bowler Ben Hilfenhaus took just two wickets amongst South Africa's top seven batsmen in the opening two Tests before being rested in Perth.

That was where a revamped pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and John Hastings reduced South Africa to 6-75 on the opening day of the third Test but could not finish them off.

Mitchell Starc

Worse still, they became canon fodder in the second innings, conceding more than 200 runs in a session as South Africa ran away with the match on the second day.

Pattinson aside, Australia has reassembled its first choice pace attack for this Test and should be better for it, with only Starc surviving from Perth.

But Peter Siddle, Hilfenhaus and Starc need to reaffirm that standing in this Test and series.

For all his whole-hearted endeavours in Adelaide, Siddle could not bowl Australia to victory.

Hilfenhaus needs more early wickets, like he claimed so regularly against India last summer.

There is dispensation for Mitchell Starc given he is only 22 and is playing just his sixth Test but he needs greater consistency.

There is much to be excited about with Starc and he will have his ups and downs like all young players.

Lost time through rain yesterday will make forcing a result in Hobart tougher but the bowlers have to pitch up, literally and figuratively.