Ashes 2015: We have to win this Test or the urn is gone, says Australia captain Michael Clarke

Clarke realises his side must turn things around at Lord's

Clarke: 'You have to be able to cop a few smacks in the mouth, get up and go again' (Reuters)

Australia appreciate fully that the Ashes are on the line at Lord’s this week. Lose for the second consecutive time in the series and the game might be up for a team who arrived as white-hot favourites.

Michael Clarke, their captain who has appeared in three losing series in this country, knows what is at stake. Asked if he sensed things were going against his side, he said: “I get a sense that we need to turn things around right now in this Test match.

“I watched Roger Federer play Novak Djokovic the other day and in the first set I was certain Roger was going to win, second set I wasn’t so certain. That’s sport right there, the highs and lows. You have to be able to cop a few smacks in the mouth, get up and go again. Cardiff, round one, we got beaten, I look forward to round two.”

Both sides have unwanted selection alarms after arriving in London from Cardiff, where England won the first Investec Test by 169 runs. England will probably be unchanged for the second match starting on Thursday, but it was a close-run thing.

With the off-spinner Moeen Ali struggling with a side strain, they were considering the selection of the leg-spinner Adil Rashid for his Test debut. But he has a sore finger on his bowling hand and Moeen will play if he passes a fitness Test this morning.

After the withdrawal of wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for personal reasons, Australia have taken the bold step of dropping all-rounder Shane Watson for Mitchell Marsh, who is 10 years younger. Watson disappointed in Cardiff and at 34, this would seem the end of his Test career after 59 matches.