Coach Justin Langer’s new era of Australian cricket has begun in stoic style against Pakistan, amidst the sand dunes and bustling crowds of the United Arab Emirates.

Following a heroic display in the First Test, where Australia batted against the odds to hold on for an unlikely draw, they have fallen by a mere 373 runs in the Second Test.

Gone are the sandpaper and brutal racial sledging horrors of the Darren Lehman-coached past, the new Australia Test team is squeaky clean and ready to take on the world.

Langer promised that under his leadership Australia would put “character ahead of cover drives”. It meant the selection of fine characters such as Shaun and Mitchell Marsh, Manus Labuschagne, Travis Head, John Holland and fast bowling Lazarus Peter Siddle. Under Langer’s rule, nice guy and occasional back-stop Tim Paine is captain and batting enigma Shaun Marsh is vice captain.

With a home series against India fast approaching, it is believed Langer is adjusting his mantra to “chums before runs” in order to guarantee an almost unchanged line-up to take on the world’s No.1 Test team.

Batting in the key positions of three and four, the Marsh brothers have been the rock on which Pakistan have built their dominance in this series. In Australian conditions against India they will look to book their tickets to next year’s Ashes Tour.

Shaun provides the team with so much leadership during their long, arduous spells in the field that he endeavours to spend as much time as he can with them whilst they are batting. Many of Australia’s batsmen will attest to how calming his presence is in the sheds during an innings.

Brother Mitchell made light of his magnificent 30-run total with the bat during this series, with his all-round contribution. In three innings of bowling, under the most trying of conditions, he dominated Pakistan with 2/98. Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas proved just how tough it is for a medium pace trundler in those conditions with his 17/180 for the series.

The reassuring thing about Mitchell’s all-round form is that he is a lynch pin for Australia across all three forms of the game these days. Australia is set to build their One-Day World Cup title defence around the younger Marsh brother.

The future under Langer is incredibly bright. Foxtel and Channel Seven could not have picked a better time in the history of Australian cricket to take over the coverage.