India facing ordeal after Clarke's triple-century

ndia 191 and 2 for 114 (Gambhir 68*, Tendulkar 8*) trail Australia 4 for 659 dec (Clarke 329*, Hussey 150*, Ponting 134, Zaheer 3-122) by 354 runs

Michael Clarke celebrates his triple-hundred © Getty Images

Matthew Hayden, Mark Taylor, Don Bradman, Michael Clarke. That is the list of the men with the highest Test scores for Australia after a day on which Clarke not only wrote himself into the record books but also declared early enough to give his side a strong chance to push for victory over India. Clarke ended Australia's innings with his own score on 329, choosing neither to seek the glory of chasing down Brian Lara's world-record 400, nor even Taylor's iconic 334, the best score by an Australian Test captain.

Instead, he chose drinks in the middle session - the halfway point of the game - to declare Australia's innings closed at 4 for 659. His partner, Michael Hussey, had just reached 150. His thinking as he and Hussey walked off to a standing ovation from the SCG crowd was clear: on a good pitch, Australia would need time to bowl India out, especially with the chance of rain on the fourth day. Personal milestones meant nothing. The team goal was all that mattered.

By the close of play, Australia had two of the ten wickets they wanted. Virender Sehwag had gone in the fourth over of the innings. He flashed hard at a wide ball from Ben Hilfenhaus and was brilliantly snapped up at point by David Warner, whose split-second leap up and to his left allowed him to clasp his hands around the ball and remove India's quickest scorer for 4.

Hilfenhaus also accounted for Rahul Dravid, who was bowled for the third time in the series. On 29, Dravid moved his front foot across in line with off stump but left enough of a gap for the bowler to nip a ball in between bat and pad. The Wall is in desperate need of some mortar, but don't expect the former bricklayer Hilfenhaus to supply it.

At stumps, India were 2 for 114, still trailing by 354, and the Australians needed to find a way through the defences of Sachin Tendulkar, who was on 8. Unexpectedly, given his struggles in the first three innings of the series, it was Gautam Gambhir who was giving them the most trouble. He had reached 68 and was playing positively, having struck nine boundaries.

Already he had his highest Test score in more than a year. However, Gambhir had been given a life on 66 when James Pattinson found his outside edge in the dying stages of the day. Brad Haddin dived to his left and for the second time in the series moved too far; the ball sailed between his arms while his gloves kept moving further towards first slip.

The Australians knew it could be a costly let-off, for runs had flowed easily for Clarke and Hussey on the third day. In three hours of cricket, they added 177 for the loss of no wickets. In fact, from 4.43pm on the opening day of the match until 2.10pm on the third day, Australia had put on 622 runs for the loss of just one wicket, that of Ricky Ponting, who fell for 134 midway through the second afternoon.

And while Hussey finished with 150 not out, the third day was all about Clarke. He not only became the sixth man to score a Test triple-century for Australia, his innings was also the best by an Australian captain in a home Test, surpassing Bradman's 270 at the MCG in 1937. It also broke Tip Foster's 108-year-old record for the highest score in an SCG Test; his 287 on debut was passed when Clarke drove a boundary through extra cover.

That was a record that could not be overstated, especially in the SCG's 100th Test. Over the years, 3747 times batsmen have walked out on to the Sydney Cricket Ground to commence a Test innings. In all of those performances, nobody has ever scored as many as Clarke did over the past three days. He went to lunch on 293, and it took barely ten minutes after the break for his triple-century to arrive.

It came with a flick off his pads for a boundary off Ishant Sharma, an appropriate shot for Clarke had punished anything on his legs throughout the innings. In truth, there was hardly a region of the ground in which Clarke didn't score freely: he drove through off and down the ground, cut, pulled and glanced with ease. He was slow out of the blocks on the third morning, ensuring he got himself set again, but never did his innings stagnate.

He was helped by the presence of Hussey, who became the third centurion in Australia's innings. In a 334-run partnership with Clarke, Hussey kept the scoreboard ticking over at a reasonable rate. He brought up his 16th Test hundred with a single tickled towards third man off Sehwag's offspin shortly before lunch, and he pumped his fists with delight.

Although it was Hussey's fifth Test century since the start of the Ashes last summer, he had also fallen for three golden ducks during his past nine innings. At no did India seriously look like breaking the partnership, although R Ashwin bowled an impressive, searching spell in the opening session.

The action in the middle became so predictable that in the ABC radio commentary box Harsha Bhogle and Kerry O'Keeffe entertained listeners by challenging each other to eat the world's hottest chilli. Meanwhile, in the Channel Nine box, Ian Healy quizzed Bill Lawry on pigeon diseases.

But all eyes were fixed on Clarke as he reached his triple-century, and when he declared less than an hour later. It was a captain's innings in every way, just as he delivered in Cape Town against South Africa in November. Australia lost that Test. Clarke made sure they won't lose this one. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Ponting's ton, Clarke's double demoralise India

Australia 4 for 482 (Clarke 251*, Ponting 134, Hussey 55*) lead India 191 by 291 runs

Michael Clarke scored all around the wicket during his maiden Test double-century © Getty Images

Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting have prior form in shattering Indian spirits at the SCG. Four years ago, they conspired to steal victory during a mad quarter hour late on the fifth day, when Clarke was handed the ball by the captain Ponting and took three wickets in an over. This year, they tortured India more slowly, with a partnership that lasted the best part of six hours and all but ensured Australia could not lose the Test.

Of course, since Kolkata in 2001, nothing has ever been truly certain in Tests between these two countries. But the drought-breaking century from Ponting - his first in nearly two years - and Clarke's maiden Test double-hundred steered Australia into the kind of position from which it would take a Kolkata-like comeback to rescue India. They would need something very, very special.

The Sydney crowd had already witnessed the exceptional, from Clarke and Ponting. By stumps, Clarke was unbeaten on 251, having batted through the day, and it was not out of the question that he could become the first man to score a Test triple-century at the SCG. Michael Hussey had chipped in with 55 not out and Australia's lead had ballooned to 291, with six wickets in hand.

Clarke's innings was mature and mesmerising, but it was Ponting's hundred that had really brought the crowd to life. Ponting had been starved of a Test century in his past 33 innings, and for the first time since the early days of his career had faced pressure to justify his place in the side. At no stage during his slump did he give up. It was somehow appropriate for a man who had fought so hard over the past few months that he was dirty and dishevelled when his hundred arrived.

The milestone came via a quick single, a poorly-judged one too, for a direct hit from Zaheer Khan at mid-on would have had Ponting run out for 99. He dived to make the crease and climbed up off the ground - the most fitting metaphor imaginable - with helmet askew and dirt all down his shirt and trousers. It was a sight that brought smiles from Clarke and even the umpire Ian Gould, and importantly from Ponting himself.

Amid all the debate over his form and his position in the side in recent months, Ponting had maintained that he was batting well. In this innings, he was. There were several classic Ponting pulls and his flicks through the leg side were a feature of his game. To some degree, he eschewed the typical Ponting back-foot drives through the off side, though that in part came down to the lines India bowled.

It was not until the second new ball arrived that Ponting departed, caught at point for 134 when he drove Ishant Sharma. Ponting walked off to a standing ovation, having joined his catcher, Sachin Tendulkar, and Jacques Kallis as the only men to have scored 40 Test centuries. His 288-run stand with Clarke, the highest fourth-wicket partnership ever compiled against India in Test cricket, had demoralised the visitors.

More was to come from Clarke, who had brought up his 18th Test century, and his fourth in his past 11 innings, with a perfectly placed cover-drive for four in the last over before lunch. His double-century arrived from his 284th delivery with a flick through square leg off Zaheer, and it brought a kiss of the helmet and a tear to the eye of Clarke, who is in his first home summer as Australia's full-time captain.

Clarke scored his runs all around the ground, with cover-drives, off-drives, clips off the pads, pulls, cuts, lofts over the infield against spin - perhaps the only thing he didn't attempt was a reverse-sweep. He was seeing the ball so well that he was able to walk across his stumps and down the pitch to turn good balls from the fast men into opportunities to score through the leg side. By stumps, he had the best score by an Australia batsman in an SCG Test, and needed 37 more to beat Tip Foster's record for all-comers.

To cap it all off for Australia, Hussey joined in late in the day with some quick runs, including two consecutive fours followed by a six off R Ashwin. It was an immensely disheartening day for India, who could manage only one wicket throughout the day after 13 had fallen on the opening day. There were no-balls from the part-time offspinner Virender Sehwag, strange field placements from MS Dhoni and a general lack of spark, which was to be expected by the end of a long, hot day in the field.

In the first couple of overs of the morning, Dhoni had a man back at deep square leg when he needed to be on the attack, and later he removed all of his slips while Umesh Yadav was bowling, seemingly a concession that all he could do was try to slow the run scoring of Ponting and Clarke rather than try to get them out.

He can be rest assured that Clarke won't be as defensive in the field when he gets his chance. Unfortunately for Dhoni, that might be a while off yet. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Captain Clarke delivers series victory

Sri Lanka 473 (Mathews 105*, Dilshan 83, Sangakkara 79, M Jayawardene 51, Siddle 4-91) and 7 for 0 drew with Australia 316 (Hussey 118, Marsh 81, Eranga 4-65, Welegedara 3-75) and 488 (Hughes 126, Clarke 112, Hussey 93, Herath 7-157)

	Michael Clarke made his first Test hundred as Australia's captain © AFP

Smart stats Michael Hussey's aggregate of 463 runs in the series is the fourth-highest overall by a batsman in a three-Test series in Sri Lanka and the second-highest among visiting batsmen after Brian Lara's 688 runs in 2001-02. This is the fourth time that Australia have scored over 400 in their second innings in Sri Lanka. On the three previous occasions, they went on to win the Test. Michael Clarke scored his 15th century in Tests. It is also his first century since his 168 against New Zealand in March 2010. Clarke scored 86 of his 112 runs in front of the wicket. In all, he hit 13 fours and three sixes. The five fifty-plus partnerships in Australia's second innings is joint-second on the list of most fifty-plus stands for visiting teams in Sri Lanka. Pakistan are on top, with six fifty-plus stands in Galle in 2000. The 176-run stand between Hussey and Clarke is the highest ever fifth-wicket partnership for Australia against Sri Lanka. This is Sri Lanka's first defeat in a home series since the 1-0 loss to Pakistan in 2006. The previous series defeat in a three-match home series also came against Australia, in 2004, when they lost 3-0. Australia's 1-0 triumph is their first series win since the 2-0 win in New Zealand in 2010. In between, they drew a series against Pakistan and lost to India and England. Rangana Herath's haul of 7 for 157 is the best bowling performance by a Sri Lankan bowler in Tests against Australia. He also became the fourth Sri Lankan bowler to reach the 100-wicket mark in Tests.

In his first series as Test captain, Michael Clarke has delivered Australia a 1-0 victory over Sri Lanka, moved them up to fourth in the ICC Test rankings, retained the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy and broken his own personal drought with his first Test century in 18 months. Not a bad way to start a new job. On the final day of the series, Clarke played a true captain's innings to deny Sri Lanka any hope of winning the match, which ended in a draw that was as good as a victory for Australia.

Sri Lanka began the morning needing quick wickets to knock Australia over and set up a chase. By tea, Tillakaratne Dilshan's men had added only two breakthroughs to the three wickets they had taken on the fourth afternoon, and they were left not only to rue their slow batting in a match they had to win, but also to wonder how long their attack will take to deliver them a Test win in the post-Muttiah Muralitharan era.

Rangana Herath toiled manfully to earn a career-best 7 for 157, but the harsh truth is that Sri Lanka haven't won a Test since Murali last played for them in July 2010. And by losing a home series for just the third time in ten years, they have fallen to fifth on the ICC rankings list. Besides Herath, none of the bowlers looked threatening on the final day, not that their task was an easy one on a pitch offering nothing.

There was a glimmer of hope early, when Phillip Hughes (126) top-edged Herath to square leg, having added only four to his overnight total. But that brought Clarke and Michael Hussey together, and they proceeded to bat Sri Lanka out of the game in a 176-run partnership, an Australian fifth-wicket record against Sri Lanka, beating the 155 set by David Hookes and Allan Border in the first Test ever played between the two countries.

And while Hussey missed the chance to score his third hundred of the series, falling for 93, Clarke didn't waste his opportunity to end a drought that stretched back to Australia's tour of New Zealand last March. It was an outstanding effort from Clarke, for when he came to the crease late on day four, a Sri Lanka victory was very much a possibility.

He batted precisely the way a captain should in such circumstances, first and foremost guarding his wicket fiercely, but also ticking the scoreboard over to add to Sri Lanka's problems. At one point during the morning, he was 24 from 80 deliveries, but he lifted his rate as the day wore on, three times advancing down the pitch to Herath to drive him down the ground for six.

Although he survived a stumping chance when Prasanna Jayawardene failed to glove the ball cleanly, Clarke provided a masterclass in handling spin, using his feet and smothering the turn where he could. He brought up his century in exactly that manner, from his 139th ball, dancing down the pitch to clip Herath wide of mid-on for a boundary, and it was a fine way to cap off a tour during which his captaincy has been bold and thoughtful.

Eventually, Clarke fell for 112 driving a catch to mid-on from the bowling of Herath, following some banter between Clarke and Kumar Sangakkara, and the chirping continued as Clarke walked off the field. But the most important thing was that he had ensured a series win.

The only remaining point of interest was whether Hussey would finish his incredible tour with a century in each innings of a Test for the first time, having scored 118 in the first innings. Alas, he top-edged a sweep off Dilshan and was caught for 93. Still, he was unequivocally the Player of the Series, with scores of 95, 15, 142, 118 and 93, as well as two wickets and a stunning catch.

It continued a remarkable renaissance for Hussey, 36, whose past two series, the Ashes at home and this Sri Lankan tour, have been the most prolific in his Test career. Herath also produced his best Test series, easily topping the wicket tally from either side with 16 at an average of 23, despite missing the second Test to injury, but it will hardly be a series he'll remember with fondness.

Still, he finished off strongly, securing his first six-for when Brad Haddin (30) was caught at wide mid-off, and that became a seven-wicket haul when he trapped Peter Siddle lbw for 26 as the sun set on the SSC. It was also his 100th Test wicket, making him the fourth Sri Lanka player to the milestone, after Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga.

Australia were finally bowled out for 488, and Sri Lanka had to bat for two overs before the captains could agree to an early end. Clarke handed the ball to Trent Copeland and Nathan Lyon, who both debuted during the series, and finished with one over each.

It was a fitting way to end a series in which Australia's debutants - Lyon, Copeland and Shaun Marsh - played key roles. Their next job is to take on the world No.2, South Africa, in Cape Town and Johannesburg. For now, Clarke and his men can celebrate. Finally, they are moving in the right direction. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Spirited Zimbabwe keep Australia to 262

Australia 262 for 6 (Watson 79, Clarke 58*, Mpofu 2-58, Cremer 1-41) v Zimbabwe

	Shane Watson's laid the platform for Australia to reach 262 against Zimbabwe at Motera © Getty Images

Zimbabwe's bowlers put in a spirited performance in their first game of the World Cup, keeping Australia to 262 for 6 on a good batting wicket at Motera. As has been the case so often in recent times, Shane Watson provided the bulk of the runs at the top of the order with a well-paced 79, while Michael Clarke guided their charge past 250 with an unbeaten 58.

On a pitch that had some grass on it but had been rolled rock-hard before the start, Zimbabwe might have been expecting Haddin and Watson to launch Australia's innings with gusto but the openers made a strangely subdued start. Chris Mpofu, the only specialist seamer in the side, maintained a disciplined off-stump line with the new ball, straying just once onto Watson's pads and paying the price as the ball was glanced to the fine-leg boundary.

It had been suspected that Zimbabwe might use the tactic of opening with spin, and so it proved as Ray Price shared the new pill and also lived up to his unapologetically brusque reputation, laying into Watson before he'd even faced a ball.

The Zimbabweans stuck to a successful plan and with pressure building as just 19 runs came from the first seven overs, Haddin stepped inside a rare half-volley from Price to thread the gap between cover and mid-off to ease Zimbabwe's asphyxiating grip. That might have been just the catalyst needed to break the shackles, but Australia's oddly passive opening start continued and just 28 runs were scored in the first Powerplay.

Mpofu changed ends for a second spell but Australia's openers then decided they had had enough of the wait-and-see tactic and broke loose with 17 off his sixth over. Zimbabwe struck back when Prosper Utseya came on at the end of the first Powerplay and after an exemplary start to his spell - in which not a run was scored for the first nine deliveries he sent down - had his reward when Haddin stepped back to a flighted delivery and was struck in line with middle and leg. Umpire Asoka de Silva thought there might have been an inside edge, but Zimbabwe asked for a review - this being their first ever look at the UDRS - and had the decision over-turned.

Ricky Ponting, in his first full international innings since recovering from a finger injury, started fluently and his presence also seemed to give Watson the hurry-up. He entered the 40s by thrashing Utseya powerfully down the ground and eased past fifty shortly afterwards with a similarly muscle-bound thump off Brendan Taylor's offspin.

A brutal pull into the stands off Cremer followed, and after a quiet start to his innings Watson started to strike the ball with ominous force before he was removed by Zimbabwe's second fortuitous referral of the day. Stretching forward to a Cremer legbreak, Watson played with more pad than bat to prompt an emotive appeal. This time it was Umpire Richard Kettleborough who decided there was enough doubt to turn it down, but wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu insisted on a referral and Zimbabwe were rewarded with the result they wanted.

They were given a serious lift in the very next over as Ponting took on Mpofu's arm with a hard-run second as the ball rolled to midwicket. A pinpoint rocket throw hit the wicket directly to catch him well short to spark wild celebrations from Zimbabwe and with that Australia were 144 for 3.

Clarke and Cameron White started their re-building effort cautiously as seven overs went by without a boundary but as soon as the final 10 overs were entered the Batting Powerplay was called for and Clarke immediately found the rope with a fierce pull off Utseya. Zimbabwe never let the game get away from them, however, Mpofu recovering well from a cumbersome start to his spell at the death to rattle White's stumps and reduce Australia to 207 for 4.

David Hussey and Steve Smith came and went in quick succession but gave the innings some oomph while they were at the crease, both clearing the boundary with some powerful strokes. Clarke remained to guide Australia to a total which, while probably not as many as they would have hoped for, should still be enough for them to make a winning start to their campaign. Zimbabwe will still be holding out hopes of an upset, but they will need their top order to show as much fight as their bowlers did if they are to get close. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Clarke fights, then falls, as England eye victory

Australia 245 and 4 for 238 (Clarke 80, Watson 57) trail England 5 for 620 dec (Pietersen 227, Cook 148, Trott 78, Bell 68*) by 137 runs

In pic: Ricky Ponting fell to Graeme Swann on the fourth afternoon at Adelaide and Australia ended the day four down in their survival battle © Getty Images

Kevin Pietersen gave England every chance of victory in Adelaide with his career-best 227, but it's his bowling that might have made the biggest difference. Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey gave Australia a fighting chance of escaping with a draw to head to the third Test in Perth still 0-0, but the loss of Clarke to the last delivery on the fourth day gave England a major boost amid the gloomy conditions.

Clarke had 80, and was threatening to stand between England and victory, until he inside-edged onto his pad and the ball looped over the shoulder of the short leg Alastair Cook, who took a good catch. Adding to the late drama, the umpire Tony Hill called the appeal not out, but England asked for a review and Clarke was found guilty of putting bat on ball, to hand Pietersen his first Test wicket since 2008.

It was exactly what Australia didn't need, after Clarke and Hussey put together a promising 104-run partnership. Instead of two established men walking out in the morning, the under-pressure Marcus North will join Hussey, who was on 44, with the new ball due at the end of the over Pietersen will complete with four more deliveries. And if that wasn't pressure enough for North, there is a chance of morning showers, which could mean cloud cover and swing.

Australia will be hoping the showers turn into heavier rain, and there is the chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. The battle will be ensuring they last that long, with only Brad Haddin and a long tail to follow Hussey and North, who will resume with Australia still 137 runs behind, at 4 for 238, searching for a draw that would feel like a win.

It remains to be seen whether Andrew Strauss will rue his decision to bat into the fourth morning, despite already holding a 300-plus lead. He might have been questioning that call while Hussey and Clarke were together, batting solidly either side of a heavy downpour late in the afternoon. Clarke seemed to have shaken off his poor touch and his bad back, looking comfortable against pace and spin.

And it wasn't easy against Graeme Swann, who created the most problems for Australia. He removed Simon Katich and claimed the big wicket of Ricky Ponting, before Steven Finn chipped in by dismissing Shane Watson for another solid half-century that promised to be more. Swann was finding sharp spin from the rough and his drift and flight caused a few headaches for the Australian batsmen.

Several times, inside edges didn't quite fly to hand for the cluster of fielders surrounding the bat, and Clarke was given out caught at slip on 67 only to have the decision reversed on review; the ball had spun past his bat and lobbed up off his pad. Generally, though, Clarke handled Swann well, using his feet to smother the spin and driving hard through gaps on both sides of the wicket.

Importantly, all the Australian batsmen played positively, refusing to simply bat for time and allow England to dictate the flow. Clarke struck 11 boundaries and Hussey, who continued his excellent series, slammed Swann over midwicket for six late in the day, ensuring that any bad balls were put away, as they would be in happier circumstances.

The only batsman who really struggled was Ponting, who was mesmerised by Swann and couldn't get off the mark until his 13th delivery. Despite punishing Swann with a vicious cut for four and a powerful sweep to the boundary, Ponting was eliminated by Swann on 9 when he played for the offspinner and edged a straighter ball low to Paul Collingwood at first slip.

Swann had already ended the 84-run opening partnership when Katich tried to defend and was caught behind off a thin edge for 43. Katich had hobbled his way through the innings with an Achilles tendon injury that severely hampered his running between wickets, and although his hard work was valuable, there is every chance the Australians will need to look for another opener for the third Test in Perth if his problem persists.

The man who threatened to be Australia's anchor was Watson, who batted confidently with his usual aggression and well-timed drives, but once again he failed to convert a strong start. Watson has passed fifty on 15 occasions in Test cricket but only twice have those half-centuries turned into hundreds, and if ever Australia needed triple figures from him, it was this time.

It was the patience of Finn, who peppered away consistently just outside off stump, that did for Watson when he edged to first slip for 57. The inability of Australia's batsmen to capitalise on their starts was all the more frustrating for them given the monstrous scores racked up by England's batsmen, led by Pietersen with his double-century.

Pietersen added 14 to his overnight score but it was enough to beat his previous Test best of 226, which he made against West Indies at Headingley in 2007. He eventually fell caught by Katich at slip, when he misjudged a slog sweep, and it was a consolation wicket for Xavier Doherty, who finished with 1 for 158 and looked nowhere near as threatening as Swann.

England's batsmen scored their runs briskly after Strauss decided against declaring overnight, and in nine overs they pushed the total up by 69 before Strauss called a halt to the innings. Ian Bell had moved on to an unbeaten 68 and Matt Prior was on 27, which guided England to 5 for 620 - their highest Test innings total in 20 years and their fifth-best of all time against Australia.

The visitors would be sorely disappointed if that effort doesn't turn into a win. They'll want a lift from James Anderson, who didn't bowl at his best, while a stomach strain could keep Stuart Broad from playing much of a part on the final day. England can only hope the weather doesn't play any role either.