Melbourne, Jan 2 (IANS): The Indian and Australian batsmen have failed so badly that the average runs per wicket in the two Test matches is the lowest in over 132 years during an Australian summer.

The average runs per wicket this summer is just 21.50 -- the lowest in any Australian summer since 1887-88 when Aussie pace bowler Charlie Turner picked 12 wickets and Englishmen, pacer George Lohmann and left-arm spinner Bobby Peel took nine wickets each in the only Test of the summer to limit the average runs per wicket to 9.35.

The 21.50 is very low as compared to the 34.01 last summer when Pakistan and New Zealand toured Australia or the 30.03 when India toured a couple of years ago.

According to a report in cricket.com.au, the run-rates are down as well with the scoring rate of 2.63 the slowest of any summer this century.

On Saturday, Australia opener David Warner said that the lack of intensity shown by the openers is putting pressure on the middle-order batsmen who are struggling to get going.

Warner added that the batsmen need to show urgency and take the attack to the opposition.

"If you allow them to dictate terms and if you don't apply any pressure, then it becomes difficult to score," Warner said.

Australia assistant coach Andrew McDonald too acknowledged the problem.

"If you look at it, both teams have really struggled to get this scoreboard rattling along," McDonald had said this week.

"So for me that's good planning, good bowling execution, but also the surfaces have lent themselves to slower play."