Michael Clarke has gone from champ to chump in the space of one Test, his woes magnified by an underperforming team and a referral blunder which would have given him a second life.

As his team battles to stave off almost certain defeat against Pakistan, Clarke finds himself out of match practice and out of form.

Clarke, who made two and three in this game after scores of 10 and five in the warm-up game, is a shadow of the dominant player who defied a shoulder fracture to make an unbeaten 161 in his previous Test against South Africa in March.

Normally an excellent player against spin, Clarke has twice lost his wicket here in meek fashion to Pakistan's unheralded spinners.

And with the second and final Test starting on Thursday in Abu Dhabi, there is little time for him to regain his touch.

"My performance in this Test match has been disappointing with the bat. There's no doubt about it," Clarke said.

"I read somewhere the other day that I'm short of match practice and that probably sums my form up at the moment.

"In the last Test match I played I scored a big hundred for Australia. But I'm short of time in the middle."

As trying as he has found the going in the UAE, his poor run is more a form trough than an out and out slump like the one he had during an 18-month stretch in 2010-11. In 12 Tests, he averaged 25, failed to make a century and passed 50 in four out of 22 innings.

Clarke has played just two matches and three innings between the end of the South Africa series and this match due to Australia's quiet Test schedule and a hamstring injury suffered during the One Day International series in Zimbabwe. He is not using that as an excuse for his troubles.

"But you're playing at the highest level. You've got to find a way to fight your backside off and spend time in the middle and then once you get in the game it gradually gets easier," Clarke said.

"I've experienced being in good form and having momentum on your side and things go your way and you seem to make a lot of runs.

"Through my career I've had times when I haven't made as many runs as I would have liked as well.

"It's about making sure I continue to do the hard work, continue to back my ability and find a way to spend some time in the middle."

Clarke could have had his leg before wicket decision overturned by the video umpire, with replays revealing a faint inside edge on to his pad.

He chose not to after consulting batting partner Chris Rogers, who was also unsure it would be successful, but realised his mistake after watching a replay in the dressing room.

"My mindset is because I'm unsure I didn't want to waste the referral when I knew the rest of my teammates were probably going to need them tomorrow," Clarke said.

"It was certainly a mistake, an error on my part looking back at the replay once I walked off the field.

"I'm extremely disappointed. I'm disappointed that it was even that close.

"The ball didn't really spin much. I should have used my bat.

"For me right now, personally I need to contribute more. That's always been my goal as the Australian cricket captain, to make sure I'm leading from the front and scoring plenty of runs.

"Unfortunately in this Test match I haven't been able to do that."

Clarke, however, was by no means the only Australian to struggle in Dubai.

Alex Doolan made a duck after running himself for five in the first innings while Australia's spin duo of Nathan Lyon and Stephen O'Keefe found the going tough in both innings. Clarke said the bowlers were not helped by Australia's poor effort with the bat in the first innings.

Clarke said Australia was still a chance to save the game.

"I don't think Australians give up without a fight and that'll be our goal tomorrow, to fight our backsides off and you never know," Clarke said.

"But it's obviously been a disappointing day and a disappointing game so far for the team."