MICHAEL Clarke's side saved face at The Oval. Hopefully they didn't save faith as well.
No one would begrudge Clarke the chance to go out a winner, and losing a series 3-2 has a much better look to it than going down 4-1, but it would be a travesty if Australia's performance in this Test in any way lessened the outcry over an Ashes surrender. 
In fact, if anything, the improved showing only highlights what a total disaster this campaign has been.
Much has been made about the poor technique of the Aussie batters; how they couldn't cope with the Dukes ball moving off the seam. How the local curators doctored the pitches; not to mention the cloud, humidity and coin spins. So what happened at The Oval?
England got the pitch they wanted and won the toss. They had the same bowling attack that had done the job at Trent Bridge, and the Aussies were coming off two humiliating Test defeats and a tepid display against a middling county side.
Yet, if not for the rain delay, Australia could have had it all wrapped up by lunch on the fourth day. And all because of a change of attitude.
England suckered Australia into losing this series. They talked up how they were going to be a new-age, aggressive side.
And Australia, straight off their swashbuckling World Cup win, said they were going to be even more aggressive, and more attacking. Against the English seamers, it was a recipe for humiliation.
What was needed was patience and judgment.At The Oval the Aussies had the incentive of sending their captain out a winner. That they put enough value on their wickets to do that is an indictment on the rest of the tour. If it was that simple, why didn't they do it earlier?