Australia are swotting up on reverse swing in their bid to halt the dominance of England's bowlers in the Ashes.

World number ones Australia have shown vulnerability once the shine is off the new ball, particularly against Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones, a fact which led to the senior members of the touring party forming a brains trust to combat the art.

Coach John Buchanan sought the secret to their success, and how indeed Michael Vaughan's men implemented the skills in the first place, during the nail-biting drawn third Test match at Old Trafford this past week.

Captain Ricky Ponting came up with some answers following his heroic 156, a seven-hour vigil on the fifth day, but the 'puzzle' has presented a new challenge to the most successful side in Test history.

Opening batsman Justin Langer explained that he and his team-mates, who conquered India's lauded spinners on turning pitches as well as Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan in his own backyard last year, have not arrived at a definitive answer but are happy with their work in progress.

"We are talking a lot about it and there is some really healthy discussion going on among the batsmen," Langer said. "For the senior players it is a great challenge, people say that too often and it is a well-used cliche, but this really is. It is like trying to solve a puzzle.

"When a ball reverse swings, rather than be instinctive and go for your shots, you have to tighten up a little bit more and wait until the ball is further down the wicket before making your decision because you are not sure which way it is going to swing."

Pakistan pair Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis gained vicious aerial movement with a roughed-up ball in the early 1990s.

However, it is unusual for a bowler to arc deliveries both into and away from batsmen.

Langer, who was ' enthralled' watching opening partner Matthew Hayden attempt to combat Flintoff three days ago, added: "We have not cracked it yet but that is the exciting thing about cricket, if we said we had it would be a pretty boring game.

"We have been facing reverse swing for more than ten years, mainly on the subcontinent, but the difference here is they are getting the ball to move the other way."

Flintoff has quickly become England's dangerman with the ball despite only one five-wicket haul in 50 Test appearances while Jones' productivity has also increased sharply; they have 16 and 13 wickets in the series respectively.

Of the latter, Langer added: "Without the ball reverse swinging you do not feel he is supremely quick, he doesn't swing the ball abnormally, but when he starts reverse swinging it he is in the ball game.

"You have got to knuckle down and your scoring options are really limited."

Although Jones took six for 53 in the first innings in Manchester, Flintoff concerns Buchanan the most, particularly during his first spell of an innings, after fellow fast man Steve Harmison has sent down short-pitched deliveries.

Buchanan concludes Harmison prepares the state of the ball for the next phase of attack. He said: "There's a period around the 20-over mark when Steve Harmison's job is firing the ball at the deck and the ball tends to scuff.

"Then Flintoff generally appears.

"The ball then swings and we have to identify and react to that; that spell might last ten overs and then he disappears.

"If we can negotiate that period and handle whatever is thrown at us . . . that is a critical part."

Only Ponting, of the top order, prospered in the rearguard on Monday which meant the teams start at Nottingham a week today with the score locked at 1-1.

Left-handers Adam Gilchrist and Simon Katich have been continuously mesmerised by the phenomenon.

Ponting said: "I would take facing a brand new ball that is swinging than a ten-over old ball that is reversing the way it did in this last game.

"Flintoff uses his angles well, goes around the wicket a lot to the left-handers and swings it both ways as much as anyone in the game - and at 90 miles an hour as well.

"Any of the left-handers he has had the chance to bowl at in the past two Tests he has really troubled.