The Aussie batting line-up must be changed if we are to challenge for the Ashes Fox Sports cricket commentator Brendan Julian discusses the upcoming Ashes and Champions Trophy series, as well as the signing of Michael Hussey by BBL side Sydney Thunder. IF Australia are to regain the Ashes, the status quo cannot prevail. There must be a major revamp of the batting order, starting with Shane Watson returning to the opening position. His opening partner should be Chris Rogers, the resurrected 35-year-old veteran who is again dominating county cricket. This means current opener Ed Cowan would be collateral damage, while his partner, David Warner, should move down the order away from the new ball to capitalise on his naturally aggressive nature. Such wholesale changes may appear risky, but to do nothing means Australia will go nowhere. When there was a chance to wrest back the No. 1 Test ranking from South Africa in Perth last summer, Australia failed miserably. And the recent thrashing in India was absolute, losing all four Tests. So to take on a strong England line-up, bolstered by the usual number of South Africans (four) Australia must get better. They can start by playing their most experienced players in their best positions. This means Michael Clarke, the only true middle-order player in the touring squad, must stay at No. Chris Rogers is deserves a call up to open the batting for Australia in England. Picture: Brett Costello And Watson must be given the opportunity against the new ball. He has flourished as an opener, averaging 43 - the same average Mark Taylor took away from a distinguished career. This compares with Watson's career average of 35 and just 24 during a disjointed past two years when he was vice-captain battling injuries and batting in a variety of positions in the order. Replacing Cowan, 31 this month, with Rogers, 35, may seem harsh, but the one Test left-hander is Australia's most experienced player in English conditions. Rogers has almost 20,000 first-class runs, largely scored in England, with 59 hundreds at an average of 50. He has started well again this county season, sitting fifth among the leading runscorers with 552 at 60 for Middlesex. Cowan has 246 runs at 35 for Nottingham. Cowan is an outstanding story of a battler made good, leaving NSW with an average of 25 to dominate the Sheffield Shield for Tasmania on a difficult Hobart pitch. However, he has failed to cash in. From 17 Tests, he has just one century and averages under 33. Australia's most elegant player, Usman Khawaja, 26, must be given an opportunity in the middle order and Phil Hughes needs to transfer his prolific first-class performances into the Test arena. Australia's exciting group of fast bowlers should create opportunities which can set Australia up to regain the Ashes, but it is up to the batsmen to reinforce those chances with runs. An attack of Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc, with Jackson Bird, man of the match in his last Test, and a fit again Ryan Harris as back-up, should ask England's batsmen plenty of questions.