Sydney: The Australian media is fretting as their team is on the verge of going 2-0 down in the Ashes series against England.

The Australians were 88 for two in their second innings at stumps in the third Edgbaston Test and needing a further 25 runs on Monday’s final day to make England, 1-0 up in the five-Test series, bat again.

The mood is darkening in the Australian press as Ricky Ponting’s men were outplayed yet again at Edgbaston. Some pundits are even doubtful of the players’ state of mind.

“Australia needs to stop contemplating their navels,” Peter Roebuck said in The Sydney Morning Herald. “Touring reporters have become frustrated at the way the team has gone to ground. It is a bad sign.”

“This circling of wagons indicates a fragile state of mind. That needs to change. Better to look defeat in the eye and realise it is not such a terrible thing.”

The press pinpointed Graeme Swann’s ripping off-break to bowl Australian captain Ricky Ponting for five as setting the scene for a fascinating finish to the third Test.

“The wickets of the Australian captain and the senior opener Simon Katich allowed England to dream of conjuring a fifth-day victory,” The Herald’s Chloe Saltau said. “Australia is desperately trying to avoid going 2-0 down in an Ashes series for the first time since 1986.”

The Australian’s Malcolm Conn wondered whether it was the inexperienced team was getting a bit too much to handle for skipper Ponting.

“It was his second poor Test after a majestic 150 in Cardiff, leaving the nagging feeling that he carries so much with this inexperienced team that maybe, just maybe, it is starting to wear the 34-year-old down,” Conn said.

The Australian press also praised the big-hitting innings of all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, whose majestic 74 from 79 balls helped position England for a shot at victory.

“Flintoff set them alight. The harder and further he hit the ball the louder the full house at Edgbaston cheered, roared and sang ‘Super Freddy Flintoff’,” Conn said.

The Daily Telegraph’s Robert Craddock said Australia was badly missing someone like Stuart Clark in their bowling lineup.

“Australia’s horrendous middle session (Sunday) when they were carved up at around five runs an over by England’s lower order proved again why Stuart Clark should have been in this side. Australia needs his pressure and his penetration,” he said.

Former Test spinner Greg Matthews said Australia needed to find bowlers who could take 20 wickets for them. “You would have thought Australia’s tail was stronger, but England’s is becoming a real thorn in the side,” Matthews said on SBS TV.

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