We won't panic on Clarke: Lehmann

Bupa Support Team head coach Darren Lehmann has backed under fire captain Michael Clarke to rediscover his form as Australia aim to bounce back in the Ashes.

Clarke is enduring a lean patch with the bat in the Ashes, scoring just 94 runs in six innings at 18.80 as his side slumped to an eight-wicket thrashing at Edgbaston to surrender a 2-1 series lead to England.

The poor run has increased scrutiny on Clarke’s position at No.4 where he averages 30.89, almost 20 runs fewer than his overall career batting average.

Quick Single: Clarke admits to form concerns

Lehmann says while Clarke is the leader of the Australian cricket team he will have "as long as he needs" to rediscover his form, but warns the 34-year-old he must "play well" along with the rest of his side’s inconsistent batting group.

"He's a guy that is like all the other batters. It’s not just Michael, it’s our top six that apart from Chris Rogers in the first innings and David Warner in the second, they all struggled," Lehmann said of the performance in Birmingham.

"I can’t complain about the work ethic of any of the players, Michael especially as captain.

"He sets the tone and raises the bar of what you need to do to play well at this level, so from our point of view it’s all those players playing well in the next Test match.

"We’re not going to panic, that’s for sure."

Clarke discusses his form and Australia's heavy defeat

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said on Friday that Clarke should retain his place at No.4 in the batting order or risk sending a "bad message" out of the Australian camp.

Ponting believes there is not much difference between No.4 and Clarke’s favoured No.5, where the Australia skipper has scored two-thirds of Test runs, including 20 centuries at an average of 61.

Quick Single: Ponting advises Clarke not to switch

Clarke says where he bats in the line-up is "irrelevant" and will do what he sees is best for the team, a move which Lehmann fully endorses.

"The captain has always done the batting order and Michael has always worked out what’s best for the team," Lehmann said.

"And for the last 18 months, four has been the spot for two years if you like, because we’ve had younger guys in or different guys batting in different positions so four has kept that stability there.

"Now that’s totally up to him (where he bats).

"If he bats No.5 because of the team make-up so be it, we’re ok with that, that’s his decision we’ll support that."

Clarke’s form is not the only middle-order concern for Lehmann and the Australian selectors.

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Clarke is well caught in the slips at Edgbaston // Getty

Adam Voges has produced 73 runs at 14.60 in the Ashes and was out for 16 and a golden duck at Edgbaston, and while his fielding has been at times spectacular, it's his output with the bat that he’s ultimately judged on.

Waiting in the wings is Voges's Western Australia teammate Shaun Marsh, who hasn’t put a foot wrong so far this tour.

In the two tour matches the senior Marsh in the squad has played, the classy left-hander has posted scores of 114, 101 and 30, with the last two innings ending when he retired out to allow other batsmen valuable time in the middle, including Voges.

Lehmann says Voges would be "disappointed" with his returns in this series, and a call on his place in the starting XI will be made when the selection panel convene ahead of the fourth Test at Trent Bridge.

"Adam got a hundred first Test match so that was what five Test matches ago?" Lehmann said.

"So we’ll sit down, Rodney (Marsh, selector on duty) and I, and speak with the captain and his wishes and make a decision from there what we think the best XI is.

"He’d be disappointed like the other players are.

"It’s a disappointing game for us and we’ve just got to cop the criticism we cop and get back on and work out what the best XI is to win the next Test match which is pretty important."

The fourth Test starts on Thursday in Nottingham.

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