The Ashes 2013-14: Matt Prior should be back in the team, says Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke compared the influence of Matt Prior to that of veteran keeper Brad Haddin (Getty)

Throughout these eternal Ashes series each side has been eager to leave the other to their own devices. Inquiries about opponents have been met with a polite but blanket rejection. "What they do is none of our business, guv," has been the gist of the reply as though it was enshrined in the regulations for the series.

It was thus a significant revelation when Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, told England they should be picking Matt Prior. He said it three times as he warmed to the theme.

Prior was dropped for the fourth Test in Melbourne after playing 60 successive matches and has almost no chance of an immediate recall. His replacement, Jonny Bairstow, was barely proficient with both bat and gloves but it would be a harsh call to drop him after only one match.

Clarke could not have been more unequivocal, which suggests he was speaking from the heart and not advocating the recall of a player whom Australia have had on toast these past few months. "In my opinion the one player I think England missed last game was Matt Prior, and more so for his leadership and experience," he said. "I think he's a similar personality to Brad Haddin and one of the best things that has happened to our team is having Brad back because of his experience, because of his leadership, because of his toughness.

"That's certainly not having a crack at Jonny Bairstow, he's a wonderful talent and has a huge future for England, but I think when you're not performing as well as you would like as a team that senior player, that tough-nosed senior player, helps the group a lot. It's probably not my place to say that but if I was sitting in England's shoes I would certainly be getting Matty Prior back into my team."

While England are contemplating three debutants, Australia are on the verge of fielding the same XI for the fifth successive occasion, the first time they would ever have done so in a five-match series. There are fitness doubts about both Ryan Harris and Shane Watson and the No 6 batsman George Bailey is under threat. But Clarke would unquestionably like the men who have regained the urn to be parading round the SCG on Monday or Tuesday.

He and everybody else are looking forward to the conclusion of this 10-Test Ashes marathon and nobody dare mention yet the one-day series which is to follow.

"At the end of this series everybody will certainly be fatigued physically and mentally," Clarke said. "It's the toughest cricket that you play but it's the cricket you look forward to.

"The hardest thing at the moment is winning away from home and I think we've made the most of our home ground advantage in regards to knowing the conditions and the support we've had from the Australian public. What would be interesting is if we got on a plane straight after this series and went and played in England back in the same conditions." There is still time to come up with a cunning plan.