Clarke says Australia are still in Test

Possibly Ian W, but that was a collapse on a grandscale, even by Aussie standards. I'm an Aussie fan but i've got to say it was great to watch.

Yep, Haddin's barely reached double figures since the Brisbane Test.

Well, Watson should be dropped, so...

Good point in a maybe the problems itht he state of batting is this. From youth to adult grades, and 1st class cricket, to many flat pitches, that don't expose technique problems eg phil Hughes look how he collapses when faced by good bowling on a good pitch time and time again, or steve smith, . So as they do not grow up on tough wickets the players are not used to facing so many difficult delvers, almost as if good piches that are 50/50 battle between bat and ball are foreign to the new generation of cricketer.

Personally, Im concerned at the number of different teams that are collapsing for 200 or under scores any time they are faced with a pitch with anything in it - or sometimes, as India did, a pitch with nothing in it. Something is wrong with the state of batting.

And the common denominator of your argument about batting first, failing and then recovering is Pakistan......enough said.

but jameswm he did not handle a fired up bowling at 100% Andrew Finttof in the 2nd innings at Lords 2009, when Australia needed a big innings to save the test. And ODI'S a relevant once against pressure game vs India. Pnting stood up his vice captin Michal Clarke did not . The following batsman have proven to be better batsman when the pressure has been truly on in the biggest moment sin match. Potining ODI Q/F 2011 Cricket world cup Steve Waugh ODI WORLD CUP 1999 Steve and mark waugh west indies 4th and deciding test 1995 in widnies with ambrose and walsh in there prime Gilchrist 2007 wolrd cup ODI final Micheal clarke has never played an innings like these men when it has truly counted in the big moments of world cricket. He Micehal clacker has not proven to be as good as the following players above jameswm.

World cup is ODIs. As far as I'm concerned, absolutely no relevance. I don't rate him very highly as a one day batsman anyway - he's selfish, takes too long to get in, doesn't accelerate, puts pressure on the guy at the other end etc. Yes, Clarke had a poor series at home against England and away against India before that too, but he had 3 good series beforehand (including a very good one in a losing cause in England), and is so far in his 2nd good one since England. By the way he scored a ton (136) in the Lords test in 2009 - a bit more than nothing. I agree he needs to make more runs when we need him, but he's done that for the last 2 tests. maybe he's turned the corner, but you'd be silly not to find out.

Clarke's Ashes Record: 2005 (England) 5 tests 335 runs @ Ave 37.22 HS 91 06/07 (Oz) 5 tests 389 runs @ 77.8 HS 135* 2009 (England) 5 tests 448 runs @ 64 HS 136 10/11 (Oz) 5 tests 193 runs @ 21.44 HS 80 10/11 was a poor series no doubt, 2005 average but 06/07 & 2009 were pretty good I reckon.

Always love reading these comments - just confirms to me that most people really have little idea. One guy makes a duck - time to drop him. Another guy gets a ton - his king. You all know very little about cricket.

And jameswm his batting average was between 21 and 22 in the Ashes, and he had a hopeless world cup made no runs vs india when it counted unlike punter, Did nothing in the lords test 2009 either. When the pressure is truly on micheal clacker has not played any match winning innings when the stakes are at there highest, eg ASHES big moments and world cup big moments are the barometers of class. Ricky pnonting , and steve waugh have jameswm Micheal clarke is not in Potning, steve or mark waugh(steve and mark waugh hundreds vs windies 1995 series decider vs cutely ambrose led attack in the windies), league, or adam gilchrist either.

Johno You're pushing it uphill if you're trying to argue that Clarke shouldn't be in the team. He averages about 45 in the last 2 years. Captain of it? That's different.

Digging in doesn't have to mean blocking every ball. It means putting a price on your wicket. There's nothing wrong with taking advantage of the loose ones. Credit where credit'd due. That's a great knock.

"I’m a bit worried about his comment that he would have batted if he’d won the toss though. What is it with Aussie captains? It’s like you’re in the backyard and you bat no matter what. Recent rain, delayed start, greenish wicket, overcast – if you’re not going to bowl then, you never will." Because Bradman, or some old guy, said you had to bat first 70 odd years ago. Something along the lines of "if you win the toss you think about putting the opposition and then bat first". Every arm chair idiot will bring up Edgbaston 2005 but fail to bring up Pakistan at Headingly 2010 where Australia batted first on an absolute green top against the country with one of the best bowling attacks but the worst batting lineups. We got bowled out for 88. Or the group match in the recent world cup against Pakistan. We also batted first at the SCG after winning the toss against Pakistan and would have lost if Pakistan didn't throw the game. We scored 127 in the 1st innings then. Its why Clarke will not be a great captain. He has no original thoughts or ability to think for himself. He will be just Ponting Jr as captain. I dont think he will be a terrible captain but he will be no Taylor, I. Chappell or R. Benaud.

Wow talk about living in the moment and suddenly forgiving Micheal clarke for the Katich affair, and saying he is the right man for the job based on 1 innings on a slow flattish pitch. Micheal Clarke has not stepped up in a ASHES campiagn or an ASHES, and that is the barometer for a top class player. And phil Hughes form is awful, he got a good ball but klatch or ed cowman or michel clingier must come in if Hughes fails next test. I'd like to see Katich back for India series.

Dig in? DIG IN? I'm sorry, what part of a strike rate of NINETY THREE POINT EIGHT FIVE did you not understand? Do you even look at the scoreboard before commenting? Why are peoples attitudes stuck in the 1950's?

Hey Bayman. Did you notice Clarke's s/r for this innings? Did you notice how all the top order batsman that FAILED had s/r's under 50?

Ahhh, just as I thought. The angry bogans are upset that Clarke played brilliantly and instead decided to attack Ponting and Hughes. What about Watson? He had a terrible tour of Sri Lanka. But nup. Gotta bag Ponting and Hughes. Kinda sad that so many Australian cricket "fans" can't bring themselves to congratulate Clarke on a great innings. God forbid Johnson bowls well. The haters are going to have a heart attack.

Problem is, Harry, SA will come out and bat on a flat track. We needed more people to dig in like Clarke and Marsh did. I rate Wade too. Haddin just has to go, and I agree Paine and Wade are in a 2-horse race to take his spot. Paine's injury could kill his career - there's a lot of luck in being in the right spot at the right time. With a ton and 80 in the last Shield game, Wade is that. And a very good gloveman I hear too. Have seen bugger all of him. I took the effort to tape it and watch Hughes in slo-mo. Even had my 7yo (just started loving cricket) and my wife watching. I noticed that because he's too side-on and his back foot not getting across, his head moves out to off even for balls around middle or leg. He got out to a decent ball, but it was identical to the one before, just a bit straighter. There is so much happening when he hits the ball, it can't be good. Katich does a lot before contact, but is still when he hits it. He might get some runs, because he obviously has a decent eye, but we want more than that from our openers. They won't dump him after one test, but Khawaja's the obvious one to slot straight in, assuming they don't go for Katich. Hughes's last 12 test innings, from oldest to most recent, and starting from last summer's Ashes tests when he came back, have been 2, 12, 16, 23, 31, 13, (in SL) 12, 28, 36, 0, 126 and now (in SA) 9 , making 308 runs @ 25. He's looked ordinary most of the time, is supposed to have gone away and worked on his technique, but is making the same mistakes. He's best mates with Clarke so the story goes. Whether that matters in the selection room is not a call I can make. Ponting has scored 575 runs in his last 13 tests, at an unflattering average of 25, only passing 50 5 times in those 24 innings. In his last 35 tests (spanning 63 innings and over 3 years), he's scored a grand total of three tons. It's not just the runs, but it's also the method of his dismissals. He isn't building big innings any more (hasn't scored a test ton in those 22 months), and he's getting out early too often, playing arrogant, dumb, or loose shots. He's one of the 5 best batsmen I've ever seen, but he's just not what he was, and others could do better. Great as he was, it's time to go.

Brett, I must say I'm surprised Haddin seems to have so much credibility with the selectors. He hasn't looked like making a run for some time now and his application to the task is invariably atrocious. Almost as if he's given it up and just wants to get the 'keepers gloves on. I can only presume the reason he's still there is because every time it looks like Haddin is history, Tim Paine breaks something. When Haddin first came into the side he showed some batting form which was encouraging - he has scored a Test century or two. For some time, though, he's looked like Mitchell Johnson with the bat. Foot down, big woofy swing, bowled or nicked and gone for bugger all. Marsh showed what might happen if someone just dug in and helped. The rest just gave it up. Good balls will still get good players but too often the batsmen just throw it away by playing inappropriate shots at the wrong time and the wrong ball. It will be interesting to see how Siddle bats with his captain on day two. For some time now, while I have been critical of his bowling - lots of effort but straight up and down, his batting has impressed simply because he doesn't throw it away. He sticks around in support. He doesn't do much but he rarely gets blown away under pressure. A few of the better credentialled bats in the team might take note. If Clarke was honest with himself he must have been disappointed in some of his support throughout that fantastic innings. A captain's knock if ever there was one.