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Sport
Enough is enough for Michael Clarke. The Test captain, stung into action by Australia’s dreadful second Test defeat, has finally relented and accepted what is the only way forward for his incompetent batting line-up: that he move up the order, and fast.
”I think I have no choice,” Clarke said after Australia were bowled out for 131 by lunch on Tuesday, completing an Indian win by an innings and 135 runs to give the hosts a 2-0 series lead, leaving the tourists in disarray.
”It’s about trying to do what’s best for the team, and I think now, especially in these conditions, I have to bat higher.”
Clarke has previously debated about shifting higher in the face of arguments that a team’s best batsman – which he is by the length of India itself – should bat further up than No.5. The clincher was the atrocious collapse that put a stop to events at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in little more than three days.
Australia’s batsmen, utterly clueless against the spinning weaponry of Ravi Ashwin (5-63) and Ravindra Jadeja (3-33), were finished off with absolute ease, their second innings lasting less than four hours in total. The mosquitoes targeted by electric swatters wielded by Indian hotel staff stood more chance.
”It’s probably more polite of me by not putting it into words,” Clarke said of the performance. ”It’s obviously unacceptable. Our batting has been unacceptable in the first two Test matches. There’s plenty of people that not only watch us on TV but fly around the world to support us and watch us and we know we’ve let them down.”
Clarke’s self-promotion in the order is far from guaranteed to be a panacea in the third Test, starting in Mohali on Thursday week. Ed Cowan survived long enough to post 44 on Tuesday but only two others, Clarke (16) and Matthew Wade (10), reached double figures. Shane Watson lasted only eight balls in the morning for his nine. Even the captain does not have answers about how to extract the best from his under-performing deputy – who has rich experience in India – as a batting specialist in Tests.
”I don’t know the answer to that, I’m not sure,” he said. ”You probably have to ask Watto that question. I’m there to help him like every single batter, if there’s areas he wants help, I’m there to support him. He’s a very good player, he’s a senior player in our team and like all of us we need to be scoring more runs.”
Australia’s ineptitude facing spin in Indian conditions has been their primary downfall, although not the only major flaw of a team in a mess. Clarke would not say whether the Hyderabad defeat was the low point of his 18-month tenure as Test captain, but slammed his batsmen over continued poor shot selection and lack of respect for their wickets.
”Is it time to be angry at them?” said Clarke, himself undone by Jadeja on Tuesday.
”I don’t think me being angry is going to help. I am responsible as well. I’m no different to any other player, I should have scored more runs today.
”I think in the first two Test matches we’ve let each other down. That’s the most disappointing thing for me.”
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