Australian skipper Michael Clarke on Friday vowed to make a strong comeback in the remaining two Tests after an abject surrender in the first two games.
Trailing by 0-2, Clarke warned India of a possible turnaround in the last two matches in Mohali (Mar 14-18) and Delhi (Mar 22-26).
“It is not in our nature to give up without a fight. We have every chance of making a comeback and levelling the series 2-2. We feel if we win one we can win two,” an optimistic Clarke said about his team’s chances.
“We have to win the next two Tests to level the series and that is our main focus. But obviously it is going to be tough as India are playing really good cricket at the moment.”
After losing the opening Test in Chennai by eight wickets, the visitors slumped to another morale-crushing defeat when India humiliated them by an innings and 35 runs in the second Test in Hyderabad. And the Australian skipper was modest in admitting that India were by far the better side on display in the opening two Tests.
“No excuses for the defeats. We were outplayed in all facets of the game — batting, bowling and fielding. The credit must go to India. But we need to improve as team,” Clarke said during a promotional event here.
“We have learnt from our mistakes in the first two games, and I feel we still have plenty of time to correct our flaws before the next game,” he insisted.
Clarke admitted that the touring Australia squad lacks experience when it comes to playing in tough Indian conditions.
“Only four players of the current team has experience of playing Test matches in India,” he said.
“The conditions are tough and demanding in India. The culture, food, pitches, weather everything is different, but I guess that is the beauty of cricket.
“It is lot easier to play in your own backyard but that’s what international cricket is all about,” Clarke added.
Clarke refused to poke his nose into Virender Sehwag’s axing from the Indian squad for the remaining Tests, but said the veteran opener has a lot of cricket still left in him to make a comeback into the national side.
“To be honest, I am not too much focussed on the Indian team. That’s upto the Indian selectors and the team management,” he said when asked about Sehwag. “Virender has been a fantastic player for India in all three formats of the game. And I am confident, that he will be back.”
I’m not short on confidence: lyon
Chandigarh: Dumped Australian spinner Nathan lyon on Friday challenged coach Mickey Arthur’s claim that he is short on confidence, asserting that his trust in his abilities has only gone up after clean bowling Sachin Tendulkar in the Chennai Test.
lyon was replaced by Xavier Doherty in the Hyderabad Test as he took four wickets at the expense of 244 runs in the series-opener. Arthur had said that lyon needs to work on his technique and they want him to get a little bit of confidence back.
“No, I reckon it’s gone up if anything, bowling to the best batsman in the world through the gate. As an off-spinner growing up, that’s what you dream of — my confidence has gone up a level rather than down,” lyon said.
“To bowl Sachin Tendulkar through the gate you must be doing something right. I was quite happy with that.”