- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Stricken Australian Test captain Michael Clarke stunned the cricketing world last night when he said he might never play again.
His bombshell statement was a dampener after one of the most magnificent Test matches won by the baggy greens over India.
The 33-year-old Clarke left the field yesterday afternoon at a critical stage with a new injury – a torn right hamstring, to go with his dickey left hamstring, and chronic back condition.
One thing for sure, Clarke will definitely miss the rest of this Test series at the Gabba, MCG and SCG, forcing the national selectors to name a captain.
There are only two genuine contenders – the current vice-captain Brad Haddin who took over during Clarke’s absence yesterday to lead the side to a great victory, or promote Steve Smith for the long term.
Haddin’s 37, a veteran of 60 Tests, Smith is 25 with 23 caps. Both deserve the highest sporting post in Australia.
But in the team’s best interests Smith offers the greater overall benefit, especially with Haddin’s wise counsel before he hangs up his gloves after a stellar career.
Smith played an integral part in Australia’s win at Adelaide with his 162* and 52* to continue his rich vein of run-getting to go with his outstanding fielding anywhere from the cordon to the country.
And hopefully Smith will continue to work on his leg-spin to complete his all-rounder qualifications.
But the most pleasing return was Nathan Lyon’s career-best match figures of 12-286 off 70.1 overs of patience off-breaks.
Especially as his previous seven visits to the bowling crease – three against South Africa and four against Pakistan – had netted 4-533, which meant Lyon was fighting for his Test career in Adelaide.
And he turned in a man-of-the-match performance, edging out Australian David Warner and Indian Virat Kohli who both scored a century in each innings – Warner 145 and 102, Kohli 115 and 141.
The Warner-Kohli double has only been matched twice in 2148 Tests.
England’s Denis Compton’s 147 and 103* with Australia’s Arthur Morris’ 122 and 124*, also in Adelaide, in 1947. And Sri Lanka’s Asanka Gurusinha’s 119 and 102 with Kiwi Andrew Jones’ 122 and 100*, at Hamilton, in 1991.
For Kohli, there was an added bonus in the record book.
The double was on his captaincy debut for India, matched only by Greg Chappell when he led Australia for the first time at the Gabba against the West Indies in 1975 with scores of 123 and 109*.
But this Adelaide Test didn’t deserve a Michael Clarke bombshell as its finale. It was played in the best of spirit, with the odd spat that will always surface at international level.
But both captains, and Brad Haddin when he took over, were hell-bent on winning that made the Test such a superb spectacle.
Those were the pluses, but there’s still the DRS problem that has to be solved.
The Indian Board must stop being so bloody-minded and pig-headed. Their pathetic excuse is the DRS is not fool-proof, and we all know that. But at least it stops, or limits, umpiring howlers – and there were plenty in Adelaide.
It’s time for the toothless ICC to stand up and be counted, to show some leadership for a change. The governing body must order India to accept the DRS, or make alternative options.
India is the only country ignoring the system, so the ICC can make them look even more stupid by adding a condition to the order. If India refuses to accept the DRS, give their allowed two unsuccessful challenges to the opposition, in this case Australia.
They would welcome four unsuccessful challenges per innings, batting or fielding. And that would leave India with egg on the face, and deservedly so.
Finally, this Test didn’t deserve any negatives, but ended up with two majors – Michael Clarke’s bleak future, and a dormant DRS.