Ken Piesse is a leading cricket writer and author.

Ricky Ponting and his shell-shocked Australians have just 40 sleeps to re-marshall and avoid the ignominy of a fourth straight Test defeat.

It has been 22 years since the Aussies have lost three Tests in a row and 26 since they lost four.

Ponting's dream of surviving long enough to lead Australia to the Ashes in 2013 is under dire threat with some already calling for his dismissal after Australia's 2-0 loss in India.

In just two years Australia has lost its world champions Test mantle and is now officially only the fifth-ranked Test cricketing nation of all, shades of the mid-80s when even Test minnows New Zealand was inflicting comfortable wins.

One of Ponting's harshest critics has been high-profile ex-teammate Shane Warne who has again questioned Ponting's on-field strategies, especially the field settings for new No.1 spinner Nathan Hauritz in the second Test.

With the retirements of Glenn McGrath and Warne, Ponting no longer has the same strike power in which to take 20 opposition wickets.

Australia's new selection supremo Greg Chappell faces a fiery baptism, especially if England happens to win at one of the Australian cricketing "Citadels" Brisbane next month.

Only Australia's good record at the ‘Gabba - it's 25 years since England won there - is of some comfort, but the worrying weaknesses highlighted by the top-of-the-tree Indians are unlikely to be resolved in the short term.

The average age of the team easily defeated in Bangalore was 29 and that's with a first-timer in Peter George and a stand-in wicketkeeper in Tim Paine, the only two aged 25 or younger.

With No.1 keeper Brad Haddin fit again and Victoria's Peter Siddle also in comeback mode, the average age of the team in Brisbane could be 30-plus!

Australia has only one batsman, vice-captain Michael Clarke, rated among the top 10 in the world at Test level. The only bowler in the top 10, Stuart Clark, hasn't played a Test in more than 12 months.

Ponting is being accused of batting from memory, yet he remained his team's most consistent batsman alongside opener Shane Watson, averaging 56 in the two losing Tests on the sub-continent.

There is pressure to maintain the younger Paine in the team and also to drop Watson down the list to No.6 allowing for another younger specialist like Phil Hughes or even Usman Khawaja to be promoted into the top three or four.

The injured Doug Bollinger is another in contention for a recall for Brisbane.

After the coming week's round of one-dayers in India, most of the Australian players will each have two or three Sheffield Shield games in which to re-find their best touch ahead of the showdown with the English.