Ashes 2013: Michael Clarke says Australia can still win series

Captain Michael Clarke admits "people may laugh" at his affirmation Australia can still win the Ashes, but he insists his aggregation can about-face the alternation around.

Australia allegation to win the third Analysis at Old Trafford, Cheap New Era Snapbacks which starts on Thursday, to accumulate the five-match alternation alive.

The tourists acquire absent six Tests in a row but Clarke believes achievement in Manchester will accord them momentum.

"Our backs are adjoin the bank but I candidly acquire we can still win the series," he said.

"I apperceive a lot of humans will beam at that but I wouldn't be actuality if I didn't anticipate we could - we can agitate up this series."

Afterwards their attenuated defeat in the aboriginal Test, Clarke said Australia could still win the series.

When he afresh the affirmation in a pitch-side account afterwards the Cartoon Style Snapbacks tourists had been ashamed in the added Analysis at Lord's, the army access into laughter.

The Australians acquire recalled batsman David Warner, who was abeyant afterwards punching England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar in June, to their band afterwards he denticulate 193 for their A aggregation in their contempo bout with South Africa A.

But Clarke, who stepped down as a selector in the deathwatch of aloft drillmaster Mickey Arthur's sacking, is borderline whether the 26-year-old will acquire a recall.

"I anticipate David was acutely atoning at the time," said Clarke.

"He knows what the expectations are for Australian candid and I am actual assured he has abstruse from what has happened in the past."

All-rounder Steve Smith did not alternation on Wednesday as he nurses a bad aback and Warner could alter him if he fails to balance in time.

Spinner Nathan Lyon is broadly accepted to alter 19-year-old Ashton Agar, who has struggled with the brawl in his aboriginal two Tests admitting scoring a Analysis almanac 98 as aggregate 11 at Trent Bridge.

England's hopes of application the Ashes by alienated defeat http://sharkhat.jigsy.com/ at Old Trafford were added on Wednesday by the account that batsman Kevin Pietersen's affairs of accepting fit are "pretty good", according to captain Alastair Cook.