AUSTRALIA'S 50-over batting is ripe for reconstruction. Apart from Shaun Marsh and his captain, none of the incumbents have batted with conviction. David Warner's lapses can be forgiven. As far as top cricket is concerned, he is still wearing short pants. No such licence can be allowed to his comrades, none of whom have taken a match by the scruff if its neck. Every innings in this campaign has been the same - a bright start, a promising outlook and then a slow deterioration as overs pass and batsmen neglect to keep the total ticking along against the tweakers.

Of course, Michael Clarke's spark and Andrew Symonds's power have been missed but their replacements have been found wanting. Nor have the lower orders been sufficiently enterprising. It's been unconvincing.

Dominating the first 20 overs of their innings on another docile Adelaide deck gave the Australians an opportunity to build an imposing total, and they blew it. Ordinarily, a team losing a vital toss, sending down a lot of dross and conceding six an over is dead in the ditch. True, these tourists are as tenacious as a spider. Certainly, the spinners had not yet rolled over an arm. Even so there was no way back, not this time, not on this day, not in these conditions. Groundhog Day is a movie, not a prescription. Anyhow, cricketers are supposed to learn from their mistakes.

Admittedly, Warner and Marsh departed cheaply and carelessly but the third-wicket pair were soon cheerfully knocking the ball around. Combining sumptuous strokes and a sliver of luck, skipper Ricky Ponting sent the score rattling along. He unfurled two especially memorable strokes, a peach off the back foot that sent the ball speeding behind point, and a plum off the front peg that turned mid-off into a statue.

Hereabouts the visitors were wayward and their goose looked cooked until again it started flapping its wings and creating merry hell. Ponting's fortune came in the form of a close leg-before decision and an edge that might have excited a stalwart such as Mark Boucher but failed to draw much interest from his stand-in.

Before the match the Australian captain had spoken of the need for batsmen to take charge of an innings by scoring hundreds. Previously, he could find several candidates capable of carrying out that task. Mostly it is a question of authority. Now he seems to be surrounded by colleagues able to contribute but not dictate. Too few of his players have taken the leap from contender to champion. Recent retirements have given them a chance to emerge from the shadows, and so far it has not been taken.

To his chagrin, Ponting himself fell after reaching 50. His dismissal told the tale. He had been able to grab the initiative but not to retain it. Credit must be given to opponents who refuse to go into a holding pattern, keep trying to take wickets, keep believing. People used to say stubbornness was part of the Afrikaner culture, a product of all those treks north. Clearly, its roots are deeper.

None of the other local batsmen caught the eye, and most will be hard-pressed to hold their positions. Once cast in steel, Michael Hussey nowadays seems to be made of china. Maybe No.4 is not his best position because it leaves him betwixt and between. His strength lies in his ability to rearrange an innings. Even in the Test side he might be happier at No.5, with Clarke promoted. But he has scored a stack of runs over the past few seasons and ought not be forgotten.

David Hussey, Brad Haddin, Cameron White and James Hopes look too similar to play in the same team. None of them work the ball around, place the ball into gaps or drop it at their toes. Maybe Twenty20 has taught them about the big shots but not the little shots. Not long ago J.P. Duminy passed 50 without once crossing the boundary or falling behind the clock. None of the incumbents use their feet confidently against spin, instead relying on sweeps and blows. Fertility has its part to play in batting. Jacques Kallis's knack of opening the face of his willow to glide good deliveries towards third man prevents the pressure building so that desperation does not seize his mind.

Balance is almost as important in batting as bowling. None of those under consideration are lefties. Australia's batting looks one-dimensional. And it's not been one bad match, but four on the trot. Somehow they also look stale. Obviously, the visitors have made things hard. That is their job. Johan Botha varies his pace skilfully and handles his bowlers shrewdly but he is not Jim Laker or Rommel (although he does somewhat resemble the latter).

Australia's batsmen cannot escape the consequences of their unimpressive displays.