Clarke ready to erase Test gloom

Oct 20, 2010 |

Correspondent

Visakhapatnam, Oct. 19: He is captaining a unit that has clinched every one-day series in India since 1998 but Australia skipper Michael Clarke believes in taking one match at a time. “It’s nice to have a good record against India in the one-dayers but we will be starting afresh on Wednesday and the aim is definitely to win the remaining two games in the series,” Clarke said.

The 29-year-old was confident that trump card Doug Bollinger could have a role to play in the ODIs. “Well, he hasn’t done any bowling yet but he has been improving. The team physio is happy with the progress Bollinger has made,” Clarke said.

He also pointed out that the series, effectively reduced to a two-match affair, will be crucial to decide the prospects who will take the field in the 2011 World Cup.

“This is a big tournament for us. Not many in our side have played in these conditions. With the World Cup being played at the sub-continent in a few months’ time, these matches are very important to us,” Clarke said.

On the criticism he has faced for an indifferent performance in the recent Test series, Clarke said, “My performances in the Tests were not good enough. I can’t change that and all I can do is train as hard as I can. There will always be people who would give their opinions and my job is to perform well in the field and ensure that we end up being on the winning side.”

Speaking about dashing opener David Warner’s presence in the side, Clarke said, “He is an exciting player. He has a lot of success in India, especially in the Twenty20 format of the game and he did a great job at the Indian Premier League. It’s great to have him here.”

India, according to Clarke is the right place to hone a cricketer’s skills. “The competitiveness that India show in the field is a learning for many other teams,” he said.

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