pretty much echo your sentiments Coxy.
Geeze the Huss is struggling, it's painful watching him bat. Dropped 3 times by the keeper today! North would average single figures in the second innings of a test match and Ponting hasn't made runs all year.
Ponting's star is starting to fade, whilst Clarke's is on the way up. I honestly believe he is our trump batsman these days and is just having an off summer.
The sad part is there are no real alternatives. I will fly kick the the next person that puts forward Steve Smith's name. I'd play his team mate Kawaja(sp) before him - he looks the goods IMO. Will play a bit of test cricket for Australia. Klinger's the only one smashing the door down, but age and an ordinary first class record before last season may go against him. Probably needs to do it for another season. Furgeson has impressed whenever given extra responsibility, and would probably have been in for North next game if not for his knee. Question marks about how he will come back from that.
Others like Cowan, Bailey and Marsh are the next cabs of the rank, however all are still relatively unproven and to be honest not a patch on the backup bats of the last decade such as Elliot, Cox, DiVinuto, Lehmann, Love, Hodge, Blewitt, Bevan, Maher etc. Any of those would walk into today's test team.