We're on the way up, says skipper Clarke

After inflicting a heavy 4-0 defeat on India, skipper Michael Clarke said on Saturday that Australia have showed the rest of the cricketing nations that they were on their way up.

“Are we the leaders of the pack? I don't think we are. But we've shown a lot of people around the world that we're on the way up,” Clarke told reporters. Clarke said they would have to keep trying to get better to attain the goal of regaining the No 1 spot in the rankings.

"Right now we're not the No 1 Test team in the world, so it's about us trying to become better every single day. We will continue like we have done my whole career to look at other teams and see their strengths and weaknesses, and see where we can improve.       

“That's been no different my whole career, whether we've been the No 1 team in the world or sitting in the No 4 spot. We're playing really well as a group, but we have a lot of work still to do, to achieve what we want to achieve,” the New South Welshman said.

Clarke said the team would work hard to achieve consistency, an element necessary to become the top team of the world. “Consistency has been an area that we've had to work on as a team," Clarke said. "The loss in South Africa and the loss against New Zealand is something that I guess every player in that change room has had in their minds. That has probably been a bit of an inspiration to make sure when we feel like things are going well to keep pushing forward.

"I hate to say it but you need to go through a few tough times individually and as a team to realise how hard it is as in Test cricket, but then how special it when you have days like today and a series like this,” he added.

Losing the Ashes during last summer to England, Clarke said, played a major role in adding a dash of steel to the side. "Individual players who were a part of last summer remember it very clearly, and knew we had to do a lot of work to improve our games both personally and as a team," he said.

Clarke said the Ashes defeat taught him a lot of things. "It was a big series for me for the main reason that I didn't perform in the Ashes last summer. I have learnt a lot along the way over the last four Test matches. It obviously helps when you have got some very good players around you, and it makes my job a lot easier. So, it's a very special feeling to sit here beating India 4-0, knowing that last summer I couldn't buy a run,” he noted.