Form may be temporary and class permanent but the current run-drought being experienced by Aussie captain (and England nemesis) Steve Waugh is beginning to go beyond the "minor blip" stage.

The tough-as-teak elder twin bagged his second successive duck on Friday morning – and a first-baller at that – and has now gone 16 innings since his last Test century, scored inevitably against England (on one leg it should be added) at The Oval in September 2001.

Since then Waugh, 37, has struggled with injury, form and an increasingly agitated home press as 11 Tests have brought just 345 runs at 21.56, and no centuries. By comparison he amassed 9,286 runs at 51.88 in his previous 139 Tests, including 27 hundreds.

Now, for the first time in his career since being dropped for twin Mark in January 1991 (against England at Adelaide), Waugh is under pressure to retain his place on form alone, a pre-requisite in Australian circles where selectors allegedly pick the best XI and then confirm the captain.

If that theory was rigidly applied Waugh might be playing his last Test already but obviously a degree of common sense enters the equation. That's not to say his position is impregnable, as proved by the ruthless decision to drop him from the one-day side, but with 9,631 runs to his name at 49.39 he is entitled to continued backing,... for now at least.

His detractors however would point to his age and a waning talent that mustn't be allowed to compromise Australia's current standing as head and shoulders above the rest of the world's Test-playing nations.

Are Australia winning because of Steve Waugh or in spite of him?

Another failure in the 3rd Test – it is highly unlikely he'll be required again in the current match – would further heighten calls for change, especially with their embarrassment of young batting talent waiting to be cut loose, but unless injured it is inconceivable to think Waugh won't be leading Australia out against England at Brisbane on November 7.

His record against the old enemy is mesmeric – 2,895 runs at 61.60 from 41 Tests – and to concede ground before a ball is bowled is just not the Australian way. Further poor form and a bad start at Brisbane would inevitably increase the pressure but the real test will come if Australia lose a match. It's one thing carrying an out-of-form player when you're winning but something altogether more worrying if that then impacts on the team's performance.

And Waugh, despite his continued protestations to the contrary, also has a personal agenda to complete that requires him playing all five Ashes Tests before retiring. That would see him end his illustrious career level with Allan Border's all-time record of 156 Tests, and it should also be enough time to see him through to 10,000 Test runs (if he can squeeze a further 369 from his remaining games).

England, on the other hand, will be champing at the bit for the opportunity to terminate the terminator of so many Ashes dreams.

But Australia have been here before, most notably with Waugh's predecessor as captain Mark Taylor. The burly left-hander was himself the subject of a concerted media campaign questioning his right to lead the team when he went 24 innings without registering a century (between November 1995 and June 1997).

Despite some calling for his head Taylor continued to open the innings convinced he would come through what was just, in his mind, a poor run of form. In 24 innings he scored 569 runs at 24.73 but his self belief was finally rewarded (and his critics momentarily silenced) with a gutsy 129 at Edgbaston.

Even English reporters and players were pleased for "Tubby", a thoroughly decent bloke both on and off the field, but the rising clamour had served to restate the potential ruthlessness of the Aussie selectors, even when their team was winning.

Waugh's run-drought is remarkably similar to Taylor's and it's an open question as to how patient the selectors will be this time. They, as much as Waugh, would like to see him end a stunning international career with one last hurrah at home to England but it could be a gamble they're not willing to risk if Brisbane and Adelaide (the venue for the 2nd Test) fail to go to plan.

One thing the selectors might like to note though, and England supporters can feel free to hide behind the sofa at this point, is that Taylor went on to score five hundreds in his his next 23 innings, including 334 not out against Pakistan in Peshawar in October 1998.

11 Oct, 2002