Michael Clarke hopes his troublesome back will allow him to play in the one-day series in India, but has offered few clues about how the team will turnaround its Test fortunes against England.
Clarke arrived back in Sydney on Wednesday evening at the end of a long campaign which included a 3-0 Test series defeat and a 2-1 victory in the one-day series.
His back flared up before the final ODI and Clarke said he would consult team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris and probably undergo scans, but was hopeful he could go to India.
“No doubt it’s quite stiff and sore,” Clarke said at Sydney Airport.
“But I’ll be guided by the experts on what I need to do now to try and get myself as fit as I can be.”
Clarke insisted there was a lot of positives to come out of the tour, including the one-day series win and the improved performance over the last three Tests.
He wasn’t giving anything away when asked what Australia needed to do better to turn their Test fortunes around for the return series starting in November.
“I don’t think it’s right to go into specifics, we just have to play better cricket more consistently,” Clarke said.
“In patches we played some really good cricket, but over a five-Test series you’ve got to be at your best consistently throughout the whole time and we just didn’t quite do that.”
He was encouraged by the form of recalled quick Mitchell Johnson, but deferred all queries about Test selection prospects to the selectors.
Clarke was philosophical about the large toll of injured pacemen, saying it world be even higher if not for the efforts of the team’s support staff.
Richard
Guest
I*'m with you Jo. Expect a lot of fringe players to have niggles if they haven't already
Jo M
Guest
I'd put my house on it. No doubt is back is sore, but I think this was the intention all along so as not to upset the BCCI who would carry on if a full strength team wasn't sent. Wouldn't mind betting that Watson will pick up a niggle in the champion's league as well and he too will have to come home. Then the whole test team is here.
Hookin' YT
Guest
Spot on. Any potential fringe test player should not tour.
AD
Guest
I said in the comments to another article a few weeks back that both Clarke and Watson should be left in Australia while the rest of the team goes to India. I think what Clarke is doing here is clever, he's giving himself a potential 'out' for the Indian series. He may or may not be properly injured, but either way it gives him and Cricket Australia a way of justifying his exclusion from the Indian tour should it happen.
Hookin' YT
Guest
Pitches are not even comparable squinting through scratched polaroids after a botttle of Bombay Sapphire.
Hookin' YT
Guest
Spot on JGK and Nudge. I'd send the 3rd XI picked from Aus U23s. Looking at the crud from the BCCI over the SAf tour we should boycott Indian tours in either direction until the BCCI pull their heads in. Further Aus, Eng, SAf, NZ and whomever else who have had enough of the BCCI and ICC's pandering should form an alternative breakaway continous 4 way tour cycle. Lets face it, India are speed bumps AWAY from home. Thats why they don't want TESTS in SAf. Last away tour was to Australia 2011, last away Test was 21 months ago. Australia caned them 4-0. Year before England caned them 4-0. An ODI tour to India when our domestic season should have started 2 weeks ago. Nuts.
Nudge
Guest
Be an absolute joke if he went and Watson as well
jijesh
Guest
series vs india is the best opertunity for selecting the squad for return ashes.so australia should include thier younger players in squad for indian tour
JGK
Roar Guru
Would be madness if he went.