About five weeks ago the sky was caving in on Australian cricket. Back in that dark, forgotten past, defeat to New Zealand for the first time since 1985 led to cries for Spanish Inquisition scale bloodletting. After countless endless reviews, everything was wrong with the Australian game, Australian players and Australian administrators.

Just eleven days of international cricket later (during which Australia has batted just four times) everything has righted itself and all is well. According to Mickey Arthur, the Ashes could even be contended for in a couple of months.

With the final Test of the summer beginning in Adelaide next week, I thought I would take a look at what is working, and what still needs to be worked on as Australian cricket finally comes to terms with its post-Warne and McGrath limitations.

Batting

What is working:

David Warner's influence on the present and future of Australian cricket is enormous. Two centuries in his first eight innings gives some indication, but factor in that one was the fastest ever by a Test opener and in the other he carried his bat, scoring more than half his side's runs - and you get a clearer picture of the phenomenal talent Australian cricket now has at its disposal.

The person who can perhaps learn the most from Warner's impact is Usman Khawaja. The talented top order batsman should be wearing a baggy green but has lacked intent when playing for his country. Warner, bristling and bouncing into battle like a prize-fighter has no such worries, and batting coach, Justin Langer, would do well to point Khawaja in his New South Wales colleague's direction as he looks to regain his spot in the side.

Elsewhere, the return to form of Ricky Ponting and the runs of Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey have bolstered the recently fragile middle order. The challenge now is to maintain that form and for selectors to pick the right time to put the two veterans out to pasture.

What is not working:

There are two major areas that require addressing.

The first is Australia's technique against the full, swinging ball. There is something of a global crisis in this regard so Australian batsmen are not alone, but to succeed against England and South Africa - or even New Zealand - it is something they must learn to combat.

All Australian batsmen have recently been culpable of lacking foot movement. Ed Cowan and Hussey aside, hard hands thrusting at the ball are also a worry. Then there is the trend of Australian batsmen playing the ball so far in front of their faces and away from their pads they become walking edges in swinging conditions.

The grassier pitches of this summer have proffered spectators with entertaining cricket but if they are to become the norm then batsmen are going to have to adjust their techniques if they are to prosper.

The second aspect of concern is the lack of partnerships, or, to put it another way, the prevalence of collapses. The walkover in Perth was secured with just one partnership above 48, Australia was 3/37 in Sydney before Michael Clarke took over and only Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey's rearguard action saved blushes in Melbourne.

As I have written before, Australian batsmen are fighting a boom and bust mentality. For the side to advance, some of these busts have to be less damaging. Gritty 40s and 50s, need to replace the rash of single figure exits. At the moment, there is the persistent fear that one wicket could trigger an avalanche.

Bowling

What is working:

Australia's bowling has seen the most pleasing developments of the summer and Craig McDermott deserves great credit for his influence on the remodelled attack. In under a year an impotent one-dimensional unit has added swing, guile and depth to its pace stocks and identified a match-winning spinner.

James Pattinson and Pat Cummins, if they remain fit, have the potential to open Australia's bowling for a decade or more. They are that good. Around them is now an arsenal of pacemen whose eagerness for the remaining place or two will ensure standards remain competitively high.

What is not working:

Injuries. Whatever the reason - misfortune, boots, poor conditioning, scheduling - Australia has to do something about its bowling injuries. Pat Cummins has missed the summer, James Pattinson has missed its tail end, Ryan Harris is unlikely to ever string more than a couple of Tests together - and that's not to mention Mitchell Johnson, Ben Cutting, Doug Bollinger and more.

Fortunately, Australia now has a deep reservoir of bowling talent from which to draw. With Pattinson, Cummins, Siddle, Hilfenhaus, Harris and Starc all performing well in recent months, the likes of Johnson, Copeland and Bollinger, all recent new-ball bowlers, are some way out of the reckoning.

Other things that are working

Captaincy:

Michael Clarke's captaincy is a revelation. He is confident and straightforward in front of the press. He has energised his teammates - trusting the inexperienced and bringing his more senior colleagues along with him at the same time. He is imaginative and proactive in the field. Plus, the captaincy appears to have improved his batting. Fitness permitting, Clarke has a long reign ahead of him.

Selection:

The National Selection Panel has noticeably improved since the changes brought about by the Argus report. In Warner, Pattinson and Cummins Australia has unearthed three young guns and in Cowan and Hilfenhaus rewarded the dedication of the domestic stalwart. The wicket-keeping situation will require addressing soon with Matthew Wade's performances in the ODIs that follow this series likely to impact on Brad Haddin's future. There is also an issue with the number three spot in the batting order. Shaun Marsh has not done enough to cement his place and he is likeliest to drop out to accommodate the returning Shane Watson. There is now comfidence that these and any other selection requirements will be dealt with effectively.

Other things that are not working

Fielding:

Australia's fielding remains below the standards set since Bob Simpson took control of team affairs in the 1980s. The wicket-keeping has been poor for some time and despite an abundance of good fielders, the side as a unit is underperforming. The addition of David Warner helps but the high rotation of batsmen places uncertainty on key catching positions.

Scheduling:

Despite the Big Bash succeeding domestically, its scheduling does no favours to the Test side. Shaun Marsh is clearly underdone, Brad Haddin has no irrefutable challenge to his place and the selection situation remains essentially unaltered for the six-week block. And then, on conclusion of the Big Bash and the Test series, we have to endure weeks of meaningless ODIs. Ironically, many of Australia's fringe Test players will be selected for this triangular tour de farce despite benefitting more from playing four-day cricket for their states. Cricket Australia needs to put into action its priorities for Test success and the player development pathway necessary to achieve it.