“A tough fight is what we have in store for England,” says Aussie skipper Michael Clarke on the eve of the Third test for the five-match Ashes Series 2013 which will be played at Old Trafford. Brushing aside the humiliating defeat by 347 runs that they suffered at Lord’s, he wants his team to regroup and focus on playing some very good cricket in this do oe die situation.
Michael Clarke was quoted by The Daily Telegraph saying, “England were the better team at Lord's but we know we can beat them. There are three Tests left and we always turn up to a game believing we can win. While history cannot be changed, but great lessons can be learnt from what goes before to make for better planning and preparation.”
Clarke is happy with the fight that his team had put on and wants them to continue but with bit more intent as oppositions are looking in some supreme form. Clarke is quite confident that his side can turn the tables if they play their natural game in the remaining three Tests of this series. He was quoted by DNA saying, "We almost won the first Test at Trent Bridge little more than a fortnight ago. Big results can turn on little moments.”
“We have shown enough on this tour individually to know that if we put our performances together as a unit we are a very competitive side. Everyone in the top seven has scored a half-century in the first two Tests and our bowling has been generally strong," he added.
In the practice match that they played recently against Sussex between the second and third Tests, some of the batters looked in great touch as Steve Smith scored a century whereas Ed Cowan registered couple of half-centuries. Apart from that, Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja also stayed for quite a long time in the middle.
Clarke was quoted by Times of India saying, "(The game) produced some more good batting while the bowlers who did not play at Lords got some much-needed overs under their belts. Those of us who missed the game against Sussex have been working hard with our preparation. That's the way it is on a cricket tour, you're playing, travelling or preparing to play. It's not a holiday and nor should it be."
Clarke gave a miss to this practice match because of the back problem and he doesn’t want to get ruled out by pressing on his injury. "I didn't play the tour game because I needed to lighten the load a little after two Tests in as many weeks but things are no different to how they have been during most of my 90-odd Tests," he said.
Clarke is not afraid if the English team go for the spin duo in Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann, as the wicket at Old Trafford suits the spinner after the second day’s play. He wants his batsmen to relish the chance if they bat first rather than thinking much about the spin-twins in Swann and Panesar.
He was quoted by The Economic Times saying, "There has already been help for the spinners from the dry pitches we have played on in the first two Tests and I don't expect the conditions in Manchester to be that much different," he pointed out.
"They are generally good conditions for batting in the first innings and that is where we really have to cash in. A good first innings allows you to control the game and gives your bowlers the chance to be more attacking, knowing there is a good buffer of runs," he concluded.
