RCB all set to give a royal challenge to the other teams

Ever since its starting-block stumble during the Indian Premier League’s inception in 2008, Royal Challengers Bangalore has made a steady climb, though the peak — a trophy triumph — has remained elusive.

From being whipping boys in the inaugural year (RCB finished seventh among eight teams), the squad is now considered a team to watch out for. The turn-around was engineered ever since it finished runner-up in the 2009 edition in South Africa.

Welcome infusion

The welcome infusion of batting mayhem thanks to Chris Gayle’s presence over the last two years has only added to the team’s allure. And it was largely riding on his heroics that RCB qualified for the 2011 edition’s final, though both the team and Gayle failed in the summit clash against Chennai Super Kings.

As a new season dawns, there has been a change of guard with Virat Kohli being anointed captain. It was a natural progression as Kohli was earmarked as future captain ever since he turned out in the red and gold colours. He had a taste of the hot-seat last year when he briefly stepped in for the then regular skipper Daniel Vettori, who for the sake of team balance sat out a few matches so that Muttiah Muralitharan could represent RCB. Kohli will surely miss chief mentor Anil Kumble, who has moved to the Mumbai Indians camp, but in coach Ray Jennings, the skipper has a solid support-base. Like in the past, the team is driven by its batting that features Gayle, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kohli and A.B. de Villiers. Gayle with his 170.17 strike rate and 1,341 runs, has been the force-multiplier for RCB besides stirring up the local fans, who have overwhelmingly embraced him as one of their own.

That Kohli, RCB’s highest run-getter (1,639), the adventurous de Villiers, who caned fellow South African Dale Steyn during last year’s league, and the maverick Dilshan, all play secondary roles to Gayle is just a testament to the Jamaican’s pulverising strength with the bat. A bristling top-order may be RCB’s strength but that cannot mask its soft underbelly despite the faith invested in Saurabh Tiwary, while Cheteshwar Pujara, though not a regular in the playing eleven, has been ruled out for the first set of matches due to a fractured finger.

It would also be interesting to see how RCB strikes a balance while fielding four foreigners in the eleven as Gayle, de Villiers and Dilshan are almost certainties though the last named has been benched a few times to make way for an extra overseas bowler.

RCB’s bowling, meanwhile, is shadowed by the injuries that plagued its key speedsters (Zaheer Khan and Ravi Rampaul) over the past year, though Jennings believes that his attack will deliver.

The spin department has three experienced men in Muralitharan, Vettori and Murali Kartik while seamers R. Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun along with batsman Mayank Agarwal, lend the local flavour. Australian all-rounders Daniel Christian and Moises Henriques also lend extra options to the team management.

All in all RCB is good to last the distance.

Pujara, Ashwin achieve career-best rankings

India’s middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin have achieved their career-best rankings in batting and bowling, respectively in the latest ICC Test Player Rankings released here on Wednesday.

They have reaped the rewards for their impressive performances during India’s 4-0 series sweep over Australia.

Pujara, who amassed 419 runs at an average of 83.80 in the series, has jumped five places to a best-ever seventh position with 777 ratings points while Ashwin, who was named man-of-the-series for his 29-wicket series haul, is now at a best-ever sixth spot, having jumped two places.

Super Kings – a batting powerhouse

Even as the helicopter shot soared, the protagonist in the middle took flight at Chepauk. Like the blades of the flying machine, the stroke encapsulated power, speed and a distinctive sense of rhythm.

The strength of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s dexterous wrists, the velocity of his bludgeoning bat, and the sight of the gravity-defying ball gaining height created a cricketing beat of vibrancy and inventiveness.

The crowd held its breath and then erupted. The stands were a blaze of colour.

Skipper Dhoni will be in the thick of things again as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) begins yet another quest in IPL-VI. His versatile unit will once again feature among the top contenders.

Good record

CSK, without question, is the most successful franchise in the IPL. In the five editions of the IPL, the side from Chennai has triumphed on two occasions, reached the summit clash twice and made it to the semifinal once.

It is also the only team to have won the Champions League away from the subcontinent. CSK emerged victorious in South Africa in 2010. This is an outfit with depth and options.

The CSK, though, will be without the dynamic Faf du Plessis.

The top-order batsman will miss the league phase owing to fitness concerns. This suggests the side would open with the in-form Murali Vijay and the left-handed Michael Hussey, the one batsman Australia missed the most during its disastrous Test campaign in India.

CSK has the batting might with the strokeful and often game-changing Suresh Raina blending with S. Badrinath’s solidity and the long-distance hitting of pace-bowling all-rounders Albie Morkel and Dwayne Bravo.

And in Dhoni, the Chennai side possesses one of the deadliest finishers in the abbreviated form of the game.

This side is a batting powerhouse.

CSK also has two impact spinners in R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja; this off-spin-left-arm spin pair hounded the hapless Aussies in the Test series and can prove a handful in the shortest form of the game as well.

Missing Kulasekara

In the pace bowling department, CSK will miss the consistency and precision of paceman Nuwan Kulasekara for all its eight matches at home; the Sri Lankan bowled usefully last season as his economy rate of 6.71 suggests.

CSK will also not be able to utilise the services of the 19-year-old Akila Dananjaya. The off-spinner, according to many, is the finest young spinner in Sri Lanka.

With Doug Bollinger gone, CSK will now look up to the left-arm pace and incision of Dirk Nannes for breakthroughs; the Aussie mixes his short-pitched stuff capably with yorkers. South African all-rounder Chris Morris, a hard-hitting bat and a lively right-arm paceman, is another exciting signing by the franchise. CSK will also seek swift strikes from Ben Hilfenhaus’ swing.

The quality of its domestic pace bowling has come in for criticism on occasions and CSK, this season, has roped in pacemen Ankit Rajpoot, Imitiaz Ahmed and Ronit More. The lanky Rajpoot, in particular, is a promising bowler.

S. Anirudha, Baba Aparajith and Vijay Shankar are local players — an integral part of a winning franchise — with possibilities. CSK is all set to fly again.

Super Kings – a batting powerhouse

Even as the helicopter shot soared, the protagonist in the middle took flight at Chepauk. Like the blades of the flying machine, the stroke encapsulated power, speed and a distinctive sense of rhythm.

The strength of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s dexterous wrists, the velocity of his bludgeoning bat, and the sight of the gravity-defying ball gaining height created a cricketing beat of vibrancy and inventiveness.

The crowd held its breath and then erupted. The stands were a blaze of colour.

Skipper Dhoni will be in the thick of things again as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) begins yet another quest in IPL-VI. His versatile unit will once again feature among the top contenders.

Good record

CSK, without question, is the most successful franchise in the IPL. In the five editions of the IPL, the side from Chennai has triumphed on two occasions, reached the summit clash twice and made it to the semifinal once.

It is also the only team to have won the Champions League away from the subcontinent. CSK emerged victorious in South Africa in 2010. This is an outfit with depth and options.

The CSK, though, will be without the dynamic Faf du Plessis.

The top-order batsman will miss the league phase owing to fitness concerns. This suggests the side would open with the in-form Murali Vijay and the left-handed Michael Hussey, the one batsman Australia missed the most during its disastrous Test campaign in India.

CSK has the batting might with the strokeful and often game-changing Suresh Raina blending with S. Badrinath’s solidity and the long-distance hitting of pace-bowling all-rounders Albie Morkel and Dwayne Bravo.

And in Dhoni, the Chennai side possesses one of the deadliest finishers in the abbreviated form of the game.

This side is a batting powerhouse.

CSK also has two impact spinners in R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja; this off-spin-left-arm spin pair hounded the hapless Aussies in the Test series and can prove a handful in the shortest form of the game as well.

Missing Kulasekara

In the pace bowling department, CSK will miss the consistency and precision of paceman Nuwan Kulasekara for all its eight matches at home; the Sri Lankan bowled usefully last season as his economy rate of 6.71 suggests.

CSK will also not be able to utilise the services of the 19-year-old Akila Dananjaya. The off-spinner, according to many, is the finest young spinner in Sri Lanka.

With Doug Bollinger gone, CSK will now look up to the left-arm pace and incision of Dirk Nannes for breakthroughs; the Aussie mixes his short-pitched stuff capably with yorkers. South African all-rounder Chris Morris, a hard-hitting bat and a lively right-arm paceman, is another exciting signing by the franchise. CSK will also seek swift strikes from Ben Hilfenhaus’ swing.

The quality of its domestic pace bowling has come in for criticism on occasions and CSK, this season, has roped in pacemen Ankit Rajpoot, Imitiaz Ahmed and Ronit More. The lanky Rajpoot, in particular, is a promising bowler.

S. Anirudha, Baba Aparajith and Vijay Shankar are local players — an integral part of a winning franchise — with possibilities. CSK is all set to fly again.

Sale of IPL tickets commences

Ticket sales for IPL-VI matches at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium commenced here on Wednesday afternoon after the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) gave a written assurance to the city police that no Sri Lankan cricketer would figure in the matches here.

After the undertaking — which was asked for by the city police in the morning even as long queues waited outside the stadium gates for tickets — was provided by the TNCA, the selling of tickets got underway. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) takes on Mumbai Indians in the first match at Chepauk on April 6. In all, ten matches will be played here including eight league games.

The stadium has a capacity of 37,000 of which around 20 per cent is already being sold online.

“We expect the ticket sales to be brisk. CSK is a popular team and has a tremendous record in the competition. It has also been very successful at Chepauk,” said a TNCA official.

He added the spectators in Chennai wanted more cricketing action after the Indian team’s sweeping 4-0 Test series triumph over Australia with CSK stars captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ravichandran Ashwin, Murali Vijay and Ravindra Jadeja playing a big role in the victory.

Jesse Ryder in critical condition after late-night attack

New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder is in a critical condition in Christchurch Hospital after suffering severe head injuries in a late-night assault outside a bar.

Radio New Zealand reported on Wednesday that Ryder was in a coma in the intensive care unit with a fractured skull, punctured lung and internal bleeding.

The hospital refused to confirm Ryder’s injuries but said his condition was listed as critical. A spokesman for the ambulance service that transported Ryder to hospital said he had suffered “very serious head injuries”

Eye witnesses said Ryder was attacked by four men outside a bar in the Christchurch suburb of Merivale. He was punched and then kicked repeatedly while lying on the ground.

Ryder had been at the bar with teammates from the Wellington cricket team, which had played in the semifinals of New Zealand’s domestic one-day competition in Christchurch earlier Wednesday.

Police confirmed they are investigating an assault and said further details would be released later Thursday.

South Africa wins decider to take series 3-2

South Africa coasted to a six-wicket win over Pakistan on Sunday to take the one-day series 3-2 with another match-winning innings by captain AB de Villiers.

De Villiers hit 95 not out to improve to three half-centuries and a century in the five games in the series, ensuring South Africa overtook Pakistan’s 205 and finished its international season at home on a high.

De Villiers’ key 87-run partnership with Farhaan Behardien (35) moved South Africa away from signs of trouble at 83-3 and to an eventually easy win at Willowmoore Park in Benoni.

Mohammad Irfan took 2-38 but De Villiers finished with a four off Wahab Riaz as South Africa went to 208-4 and won with six overs to spare.

India sends Australia down under

 

Australian cricket would take long to recover from the battering that India handed in this series. Four wins in four Tests, all by convincing verdicts, showed the gap between the teams.

Australia was outclassed by a resurgent India, which won at the Ferozeshah Kotla by six wickets, much to the delight of the Sunday crowd.

What if the match was over in three days on a spinner-friendly pitch! The result showed Indian cricket in healthy state until the next overseas engagement.

Spirited Siddle

India folded early this morning and Australia did not last the afternoon. Bowlers, actually spinners, called the shots as the ball played truant after pitching and the batsmen, shaky and clueless, surrendered meekly, with the exception of the spirited Peter Siddle.

He ensured there was some entertainment for the audience. Siddle’s second half-century of the match may compel his team management to possibly hand him a promotion in the batting order.

Two Saurashtra stars, for long unsung and waiting to earn their space in the Indian dressing room, shone the brightest in India’s victory.

‘Man-of-the-match’ Ravindra Jadeja hastened the Australian slide with a five-wicket strike and Cheteshwar Pujara, who does nothing wrong these days, heralded the victory with a responsible, and given the circumstances, a match-winning effort too after he saw Sachin Tendulkar depart to a rough decision and a standing ovation.

This could be Tendulkar’s last appearance in a Test in India unless the Board squeezes in a short series in the one-month break after the Champions League.

Pujara sets the tempo

The target was 155. Competitive if only Australia could emulate India’s skills with the ball. But Shane Watson did not command the spinners who could swing the contest.

Nathan Lyon, who had a seven-wicket haul, was mauled in the second innings as Pujara set the tempo for a racy finish. It should rank among his best knocks for it carried the stamp of a classy batsman.

Earlier, India’s spinners assumed monstrous proportions. Jadeja proved unplayable, making the ball turn, jump, skid and on the dry surface he looked more dangerous than Derek Underwood on a wet. The left-arm spinner bowled a specific line, and the ball, coming out of his palm nicely, created havoc in the Australian camp.

The Australian debacle once again underlined the team’s poor preparations and lack of self-belief. Jadeja’s five wickets should go a long way in establishing his credentials in Test cricket.

He did not relent and his aggressive postures gave him the confidence to grow as a wicket-taker. Jadeja the bowler was a revelation and a big gain from this emphatic performance by India.

India led by a mere 10 runs but Australia responded poorly. The batsmen lacked the motivation and a couple of suicidal dismissals took the wind out of the visiting camp. David Warner refused to learn.

Shane Watson was no less stubborn, playing the pull, an unwise stroke on a two-paced pitch.

Glenn Maxwell’s elevation as opener resulted from desperation but ended on a predictable note.

The Australian innings was in disarray when Phil Hughes, trapped in front by ‘Man-of-the-series’ R. Ashwin, and Ed Cowan were consumed by the spinners before Steve Smith promised solidity.

A compulsive stroke player, he used the pad-play to good effect but it needed a dashing show by Siddle to save Australia from deep embarrassment. He was the last man out, epitomising, even for a brief phase, Australia’s resilience in difficult situations. It was, however, inadequate this day. India was the rightful owner of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Not revenge, but a good series: Dhoni

 As a captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni told “this changed Indian line-up did all the small things that matter,” on way to an

unprecedented 4-0 series sweep against Australia.

Looking back at the series and the changes he brought about in his captaincy, Dhoni said, “I had to change a bit, the reason being that the line-up has entirely changed. The bowling line-up is quite the same, but the batting line-up has changed a lot, almost completely. What’s important with the new side is that you often have to talk to them.”

Refusing to look at the triumph as “revenge,” Dhoni said, “I think it’s better to say that it was a good series for us. There are plenty of individuals who did really well, quite a few bowlers, quite a few batsmen. They got some exposure and scored runs in difficult conditions. We all know it’s very difficult when it comes to batting fourth in the subcontinent.”

Responding to a question whether the series was played on the “right kind of pitches,” Dhoni countered with a touch of sarcasm, “Well, you’ll have to answer what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’ because your opinion really counts. I feel that when four fast bowlers play, it becomes strategy… when three or four spinners play, it becomes a bad wicket.”

Dhoni praised Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, M. Vijay and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar for their roles in the “important series”.

“I am very impressed with Pujara. He really played well in the series. Today, his knock was very important. Overall, the openers struggled. But the way Shikhar (Dhawan) played in Mohali and Vijay came good at the top, the team gained a lot. It was good to see newer players doing well in the series."

“Jadeja not only came good as a bowler but also who can bat a bit. I would like him to be more consistent (with the ball) and give the team the option of having five specialist bowlers. Bhuvaneshwar, the way he took those three top wickets in Mohali, showed that he can be very useful in conditions abroad. He does not bowl fast but can swing the ball both ways. Like he showed in the ODIs (against Pakistan) that in helpful conditions, he can be very effective.”

Talking about Ashwin’s return to form, Dhoni said, “He was facing a bit of pressure and I think it was very important to come back in the right frame of mind because people talk a lot of different things. I think it was very important for him to back himself.”

On a question on whether Sachin Tendulkar had played his last Test in India, Dhoni’s quick and short response evoked laughter from most present. “Don’t speculate. There are no ifs and buts. I remember, you (the media) had asked the same question in 2005. So don’t speculate. You never know.”

Indians totally outplayed us: Watson

Shane Watson’s first Test as captain ended in defeat. That too, under three days!

If that was not bad enough for Watson, the result also meant Australia lost four matches in a series for the first time since the 1978-79 Ashes series.

But the defeat in the final Test here was not as close at the scorecard suggests. Watson and his men knew they had evened out things early on Sunday before the match eventually turned India’s way.

“I thought we were definitely in the game. If we got to 150 and more, if we bowled well on that wicket, then we were going to give ourselves a very good chance. Unfortunately, things didn’t go exactly right with the ball,” said Watson soon after India’s six-wicket victory.

Very disappointing

Reflecting on the 4-0 drubbing, Watson said, “It's extremely disappointing. We came here with high hopes of having a good series. And the 4-0 (margin) here is what we deserved. The Indians have totally outplayed us. We haven’t played to our best, unfortunately.”

Talking about the state of the pitch here, Watson point out, “If you saw a few of the dismissals, you’d probably realise that it wasn’t that easy to bat out there and that we are doing everything we possibly can. Sometimes a ball has got your name on it on a wicket like that. Sometimes, like I did today, you just play a bad shot.

“There is no doubt that these conditions were very difficult and very challenging, even for one of the greatest players ever to play the game. “Sachin Tendulkar struggled out there as well with the spin and the inconsistent spin and bounce. So I think that probably gives a few of us batsmen a little bit of encouragement that even one of the greats of the game struggled on that wicket.

When quizzed about his decision to change the batting-order, the captain said, “We knew how important it was to try and take on that new ball. It was always easiest to score when the ball was brand new. In those conditions, we knew how important it was to try and take the game on a little bit. Glenn Maxwell certainly has got the ability to do that. I thought it wasn’t going to mix up the batting-order too much and potentially could get the innings off to a flyer, to get us really going. Unfortunately it didn’t exactly work out to plan.”

Loved captaincy

Finally, on getting the taste of captaincy, Watson said, “I’ve absolutely loved it, to be totally honest. Of course, I’ll hand it back because Michael (Clarke) is the man, I’ve got no say in that. Even though I haven’t been able to contribute with run-scoring unfortunately, for the last three days I’ve had an absolute ball, being able to lead the guys. Whatever I asked of the team, everyone gave it absolutely everything. That’s all you can ask for.”

India v Australia, 4th Test, Delhi, 1st day Australia fumble against spin again

On a Feroz Shah Kotla track that had plenty of cracks even before the game began, there was variable bounce and movement for the quicks, and the ball was starting to grip for the spinners, with TV commentators even wondering whether this match was being played at Headingley. That may seem a tailor-made surface for bowling first, but Australia's stand-in captain Shane Watson, taking over from an injured Michael Clarke, decided to bat wagering that the track will become even more difficult to score on as the match progresses.

The bulk of the runs in the morning session came from Phillip Hughes, who less than a week ago was set to go down as the benchmark for bumbling batting after a torturous time against India's spinners. Some of his confidence came back with a battling 69 in Mohali, and he was refreshingly positive on the difficult pitch. He was helped by some wayward bowling from the quicks early on, thumping three fours in a Bhuvneshwar Kumar over.

Everyone was waiting for the first spinner to come on, both to see how much the ball would rip and to see how Hughes would cope. Ashwin, India's most successful bowler in the series, came on in the ninth over and Hughes promptly struck him for two boundaries through midwicket to gallop to 29 off 23 deliveries.

There was some turn available, but it was Ishant Sharma who provided the breakthroughs. There were puffs of dust coming off the pitch when the new-ball bowlers were on, Ishant sent down a grubber early on which zipped through at ankle height, and in the 21st over he bowled a snorter that sprang up from short of a length to thud into Hughes' helmet. Hughes grinned ruefully, amazed at how much that delivery lifted, and two balls later his aggressive innings came to an end, as he tentatively poked at an Ishant delivery that crashed into the stumps.

The other wicket had been an early one, as Ishant had David Warner nicking to Virat Kohli at slip for a duck. Ed Cowan persevered in his usual un-flashy style, putting away some of the loose deliveries but mainly concentrating on keeping his wicket intact.

Keeping him company was Watson, who is coming off what will rank among the most dramatic ten days of Watson's life, from his high-profile axing before the Mohali Test, to the birth of his son, and becoming Australia's 44th Test captain. Watson had several close calls in his short stay, surviving a stumping chance by centimetres, and an lbw appeal from Pragyan Ojha. Still, he'll be satisfied with Australia's score at lunch despite the two wickets, as this Test promises to be a low-scoring one.

Watson's return was one of five changes Australia made - Mitchell Johnson came in for the injured Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell took over one of the allrounders' spots from Moises Henriques, James Pattinson is back to spearhead the attack and the fit-again Matthew Wade reclaimed the wicketkeeping gloves from Brad Haddin.

Australia reach 94 for two at lunch

Australian batsmen had testing time on a dodgy Feroze Shah Kotla strip as they reached 94 for two at lunch, on the opening day of the fourth and final cricket Test, in New Delhi on Friday.

Opener Ed Cowan is batting on a patient 27 having survived a torrid time. Giving him company is stand-in captain Shane Watson, who is unbeaten on 16.

Ishant Sharma removed opener David Warner (0) and No 3 batsman Phillip Hughes (45) in two spells on a track where the odd balls took off dangerously from the good length spot while some of the balls kept low.

Even as Ishant and his new ball partner Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled well in tandem, one can’t rule out the fact that the behaviour of the 22-yard strip prepared by curator Venkat Sundaram was highlight of the first session.

Hughes, who found some form going his way during the second inning in Mohali, took the attacking route knowing well that playing a game of survival would be difficult on this track. He hit 10 boundaries in his 59-ball knock.

The left-hander hit some flowing cover drives off both Bhuvneshwar and Ishant. He dispatched a lot of length deliveries to the boundary but somehow never looked set partly due to the nature of the pitch.

Even some of the deliveries bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin rose awkwardly and frequently hit the handle of the bat.

In fact before his dismissal in the 21st over, Ishant softened up Hughes with a delivery that took off from the short of good length spot and hit him flush on grill of his helmet.

The delivery unnerved Hughes big time and two balls later, a delivery that landed on the same spot kept low and the batsman was played on.

Cowan and Hughes added 67 runs for the second wicket.

Watson survived a stumping appeal off Ojha’s delivery as he barely managed to drag his feet back in the crease.

A day earlier, Ishant spoke about him being more effective with the old ball but the lanky speedster decided to prove himself ‘wrong’ as he got a couple of wickets with the new ball.

For a change, he got a wicket in his very first over with a fuller delivery outside the off—stump, which Warner played away from his body with minimal feet movement.

Virat Kohli standing at second slip, finally held onto a catch having missed a couple of chances in Mohali.

Brief scores:

Australia: 94 for two in 28 overs (Phil Hughes 45; Ishant Sharma 2/21).

Keywords: Australia's tour of India, India-Australia Test series

Won’t let back problem end career: Clarke

The latest recurrence of Michael Clarke’s back spasm has raised questions about his long-term future but the Aussie captain insisted that the chronic back troubles, which have plagued him for nearly half his life, will not force him to cut short his international career.

Clarke, ruled out of the ongoing fourth and final Test here due to back spasm, said that he will not let the injury make him quit the game earlier than he would prefer.

“It won’t have any impact, it hasn’t had any impact in regards to my Test cricket at this stage. I don’t think it will play any role at all,” said Clarke.

“Right now, I’ve been able to manage it for -- what am I now, 31? I had my first scan at 17 that said I had degeneration in my disc. I’ve been able to manage it this long, I don’t see any reason why I can’t continue to manage it for the rest of my career,” he added.

Clarke had suffered back spasm during a fielding drill in the third Test against India at Mohali, but the skipper expressed confidence that he could manage the degenerative discs in his lower back as he had done it throughout his career.

“It’s a combination of things, my back gets irritated when I’m in flexion and I rotate, so I hurt it the other day doing fielding, sprinting for a ball, picking it up one day and throwing it off balance, which is exactly the opposite to what my back likes.

“But I’ve done that a number of times throughout my career in regards to every time I field. Sometimes with degeneration of the disc, it can flare up, but I will manage it as well as I can,” Clarke was quoted as saying by ‘Sydney Morning Herald’.

Clarke had received intensive treatment from team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris since the recurrence of the bout of pain but failed to recover in time to take the field.

It is the first time that Clarke has been forced to miss a Test since he made his debut in 2004.

“I’m very grateful for the people around, especially Alex Kountouris and my physio when I’m back in Sydney to keep me on the park consistently.

“I don’t know if it’s as bad as it’s been. It’s not a nice feeling, it was very uncomfortable and it affected my performance (in Mohali), in regards not to the number of runs I made but the movement,” explained the skipper.

“I felt I couldn’t move down the wicket because I was so restricted and I’d hate to see what the fielding side of it looked like. For me as a batsman if I can’t walk out there and make a hundred because this is going to restrict me doing that, then I don’t think it’s fair on the team to take the field,” he said.

Keywords: Australia's tour of India, India-Australia Test series, Michael Clarke