The Australian cricket team’s old foe – reverse swing – has reared its head in English conditions before Sunday’s crucial one-day clash at the Oval.

England’s fast bowlers famously used the practice to unlock Australia’s star-studded batting lineup in their 2005 Ashes series win.

The introduction of two balls in the 50-over game was supposed to have reduced the chances of fast bowlers being able to swing the ball the other way.

The logic being that 25 overs might not be long enough for the ball to start hooping the other direction.

However quick Tim Bresnan showed it was by curling the ball back in and trapping captain Michael Clarke in front at a pivotal moment in England’s 15-run series-opening win at Lord’s.

Australia’s opener David Warner believed reverse swing started coming in to play about the 40-over mark of the innings when both balls had been scuffed up for about 20 overs each.

He said it was up to Australia’s batsmen to figure out how to combat it in the second match of the five-game series on Sunday in south London.

“Tim Bresnan got a couple of them to go pretty big (at Lord’s),” Warner said.

“We have to work out a way to counteract that and how to play that.”

It is important the tourists rebound for the Oval with the pitch traditionally playing more like an Australian deck than anything they will find in their final three games in Birmingham, Chester-le-Street and Manchester.

A 5-0 series whitewash will allow England to overtake Australia as the No.1 one-day team in the world.

“It is a great thing to have there but is something we haven’t talked about,” England quick Steve Finn said.

“No-one has mentioned it. We are not looking that far ahead.

“There are still four more one-day games to play.

“Australia are not the number one ODI side in the world for no reason and we are going to have to play some exceptionally good cricket like we did to keep beating them.”