JOIN USMichael Clarke, the Australian skipper, said he was not surprised with the way India fought to put the home team under pressure on the final day of the first Test. Chasing 364 for win, India were cruising at 242 for two before Australia struck back to register a 48-run win here on Saturday.
"I thought that was the way India would come and play in this series,” Clarke noted. “I think they would have learned from their last series in Australia, especially when conditions are conducive to good batting like we've just seen. We know how talented a team they are, so we need to make sure we're executing with the ball and holding on to every chance we get. The next three Test matches are going to be just as tough,” he offered.
Clarke said the Adelaide win could prove crucial for the home side. "This Test match was crucial for us for a number of reasons but mostly for setting the series up was so important. If you go to Brisbane 1-0 up that helps our confidence a lot more than if we'd have lost this first Test match. We'll still have to be at our best, but I think winning this Test puts us in a really good position and we can take a lot of confidence out of that."
Clarke was also all praise for the way Nathan Lyon bowled. The off-spinner claimed 12 wickets for the match to bag man of the match award.
“He's bowled really well throughout his career. He bowled without much luck in the first innings and picked up a five-for, so I hope that does his confidence the world of good because everybody around him believes he can do that.
Now it confirms to him that he's a match-winner, he's shown that in the past and anybody who has the skill to take five wickets in the first innings of a Test match can certainly do it in the second innings. He deserves a lot of credit,” he remarked.
Dhawan, Kohli fined
Australia’s David Warner and India duo Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli were found guilty on Saturday of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the fourth day’s play in the first cricket Test.
Warner and Dhawan were fined 15 and 30 per cent of their match fees respectively for their roles in an incident that took place during the second session of play on Friday, while Kohli was fined 30 per cent of his match fee for his involvement in a separate incident shortly before the close of play.