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28 March 2024

Australia vs India 1st Test Day 2: Captain Clarke defies pain, grief for brave century

Published
By Cricket Correspondent and Agencies

Captain Michael Clarke defied a back injury and grief over the death of Phillip Hughes to post an inspirational century as Australia took charge of the first Test against India on Wednesday.

Clarke, who was supported by Steve Smith's unbeaten 162, retired hurt on 60 on day one but after painkilling injections he returned to compile 128 in one of his bravest knocks.

The skipper's 28th Test ton, on a rain-disrupted second day in Adelaide, came in his first innings since Hughes was tragically killed by a blow to the head while batting in Sydney last month.

The centuries by Clarke and Smith, together with David Warner's ton on Tuesday, left the hosts on 517 for seven and in command against a bedraggled Indian attack.

Clarke was out late in the day for 128 off 163 balls with 18 fours, and he put on 163 runs for the seventh wicket with Smith.

Batting partner Smith continued his growing stature in the Australia set-up with his highest Test score, his fifth Test hundred and his fourth in his last 15 Test innings.

It was tough going for the tourists in the gloom with only 30.4 overs possible in between the day's three lengthy rain delays.

Clarke made his surprise return to the crease at the outset and despite batting in discomfort, he provided dependable support for Smith after the clatter of three wickets in the last five overs on day one.

The captain grimaced and yelped in pain as he twisted his torso to play some shots, and his running between the wickets was constrained. But he and Smith gradually took control, hitting out late in the day as India faltered.

Clarke brought up his ton with a single off his pads, taking off his helmet and kissing its emblem in a subdued celebration, to the acclaim of an admiring crowd.

The captain played a leading role in the days after Hughes's death, in which he read a tearful tribute at the funeral and was one of the pallbearers.

The Australian skipper has earned a reputation for his batting heroics in adversity. Last March he batted on with a fractured left shoulder in an unbeaten 161 to help his team to a 2-1 series victory over South Africa in Cape Town.

Clarke, who has a long history of back trouble, only made the Adelaide Test after passing a late fitness test for recurring hamstring trouble.

Team physio Alex Kountouris said he was struggling with a "significant back injury."

"This is his right lower back. This is his old injury, what he's had in the past. I don't think it's directly related to his hamstring, because it's the other side," Kountouris said before the start of Wednesday's play.

"We believe it's related to his old disc injuries. With that comes a lot of muscle spasms and other things that cause pain."

Smith sealed his determined century off the first ball after lunch, clipping off his pads for two.

He jogged away from the wicket and pointed towards the '408' - Hughes's Test cap number - painted on the playing surface, before raising his bat and looking skywards in his own salute to the batsman.

Smith then shared another long hug with batting partner Clarke, who also was there to embrace Warner when the opener reached his century on day one.

In a Test of high emotion, there was another poignant moment when the crowd broke into applause when the Australian total reached 408.

Smith's assured century again highlighted the rapid development of the 25-year-old right-hander.

It comes after his man-of-the-series performances in last month's one-day series win over South Africa.

Smith took 23 Test innings to reach his maiden century. Now, he has five Test tons - four of them in his past 15 innings.

India's fielding deteriorated late in the day with Smith dropped three times and a mis-stumping by Wriddhiman Saha, while Clarke was also put down before he was caught by Cheteshwar Pujara.

Scoreboard at the close on the second day:

Australia 1st innings (354 for 6 overnight)

C. Rogers c Dhawan b I. Sharma 9
D. Warner c I. Sharma b K. Sharma 145
S. Watson c Dhawan b Aaron 14
M. Clarke c Pujara b K. Sharma 128
S. Smith not out 162
M. Marsh c Kohli b Aaron 41
N. Lyon b Shami 3
B. Haddin c Saha b Shami 0
M. Johnson not out 0
Extras (lb4, w9, nb2) 15
Total (7 wickets; 120 overs) 517
Fall of wickets: 1-50 (Rogers), 2-88 (Watson), 3-258 (Warner), 4-345 (Marsh), 5-352 (Lyon), 6-354 (Haddin), 7-517 (Clarke)
Bowling: Shami 24-2-120-2 (1w), Aaron 23-1-136-2 (2nb, 3w), I. Sharma 27-5-85-1 (1w), K. Sharma 33-1-143-2, Vijay 13-3-29-0
Toss: Australia
Umpires: Marais Erasmus (RSA) and Ian Gould (ENG)
TV umpire: Mick Martell (AUS)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)

Tea

Michael Clarke fought off back pain to reach his century against the odds and put Australia in a strong position in the first Test against India on Wednesday.

The Australian skipper, who retired hurt on 60 on the opening day with lower back trouble, returned to the crease to notch his 28th Test hundred on the rain-disrupted second day.

Clarke brought up his ton with a single off his pads, taking off his helmet and kissing its emblem in celebration, to the acclaim of the Adelaide Oval crowd in the wake of the Phillip Hughes tragedy.

The captain played a leading role in the days after Hughes's death, in which he read a tearful tribute at the funeral and was one of the pallbearers.

Test team-mate Hughes died after he was struck by a bouncer in a domestic game late last month.

Clarke, who needed painkillers to get to the wicket on Wednesday, reached his three figures off 127 balls with 15 boundaries.

He continued his great scoring record at Adelaide Oval with five hundreds and two double-centuries, coming into this Test match with a 98.38 ground average.

It was the third century of the Australian first innings, with Steve Smith getting his fifth Test ton and David Warner hitting 145 on the first day.

Stumps

Michael Clarke led from the front and in the august company of Steven Smith pulverised the Indian attack on a day when the weather played spoilsport at the Adelaide.

At the end of day 2 of the first Test, Australia reached 517 for 7 thanks to both the centurions with Clarke hitting 128 and Smith remaining unbeaten on 162.

The players are walking back to the pavilion. There's no rain but the light is poor. There's confusion whether umpires have called stumps but no it's another weather interruption. Aus 517/7.

Karn Sharma finally gets a wicket, after a couple of catches were dropped of his bowling, and that is of the Aussie skipper Clarke who plays a tired-looking shot to Pujara at square leg.

Michael Clarke c Pujara b KV Sharma 128 (244m 163b 18x4 0x6) SR: 78.52

There is speculation whether Australia will declare but Smith and Clarke are in no mood to relent. Aus 516/6 in 119 overs.

Australia 501/6 in 117 overs.

Kohi drops a sharp chance from Smith and the ill-fated bowler is again Karn Sharma. Aus 494/6 in 116 overs.

Smith is on a roll here scoring his 150 from 218 balls with 21 fours. Aus 487/6 in 115 overs.

We are back to some action and Australia are 478 for 6 after 112 overs.

Play will resume shortly.

Its raining again and the umpires have no hesitation in telling the players to rush to the pavilion. Smith is batting on 142 and Clarke on 109.  Aus 473/6 in 111 overs.

There was respite for the Indians from the rain interruption but there is none from Smith who is ripping the bowling apart.

Opportunity gone abegging for India as Saha misses a stumping chance against Smith. It could have been Karn's second wicket. Aus 460/6.

Smith is in a murderous mood spanking Aaron over his head with umpire ducking for cover for the second time. Aus 457/6.

Smith is making it look like a T20 match, hitting Aaron all over the place. With overcast conditions Australia may want to score briskly and declare and make the Indian face a few overs. Aus 450/6 in 108 overs.

Slam bang and Smith cracks Aaron straight down his throat, the bowler taking evasive action at the last minute, with the ball speeding to the boundary. Australia are cantering at 440 for 6.

Clarke overcomes all the back pain to score a brilliant hundred, his 28th in Tests. Aus 426/6 in 105 overs.

Play has finally resumed and Murali Vijay gets an outside edge off Smith but it falls short of first slip.

There is good news as play will resume at 9am UAE time.

It has stopped raining and the covers are off. Chances of play starting in a few minutes look good but the umpires are still assessing the situation as the pitch is a bit damp.

Oh no, umpires call for the covers once again with it continuing to rain. Clarke is stranded on 98 and Smith on 103. Aus 423/6.

Clarke steps out and hits Karn Sharma over his head to bring up his 2,000 runs against India in Tests. Aus 421/6 in 103 overs.

Smith gets to his hundred off the first ball from Aaron when play resumed after rain.

Play was supposed to start at 6.30am after an early lunch but the covers are still on and the umpires, after an inspection, have decided to go back to the changing room.

The covers are off but after some inspection the umpires decide to go back to the pavilion and instead call for an early lunch. Aus 405/6 with Smith on 98 and Clarke on 85. Play will resume at 6.30am.

Smith plays a copybook shot through mid-off area for four. He and Clarke have put on 51 runs in double-quick time. Unfortunately for them play is interrupted by rain which should give the Indians some respite and time to ponder on what to do next. Aus 405/6 in 101.4 overs with Smith on 98 and Clarke on 85.

Clarke and Smith make batting look so easy as runs continue to flow from the blades of both batsmen. Aus 400/6 in 100 overs.

Runs have been coming in torrents as Aus are 390/6 in 97 overs with both batsmen coasting along nicely into their eighties.

Spin is introduced but Karn Sharma too is treated with disdain by Clarke and Smith. Aus 388/6 in 96 overs. 

Clarke looks a little stiff with his back injury but the Indin bowlers aren't troubling him, instead they are feeding him lollipops by bowling short. Aus 381/6 in 94 overs.

Smith plays some nice free-flowing strokes on both sides of the wicket, getting 8 runs from Ishasnt's over. Aus 374/6 in 93 overs.

Clarke replicates a shot played by Smith in the previous over, thumping Shami through the same region. Aus 366/6 in 92 overs. 

Smith stands tall and punches Ishant Sharma's first ball of the day through point for four. Aus 358/6 in 91 overs.

Both teams are out in the middle and there is good news for Australia as their skipper Clarke comes out to bat with Smith.

Clarke was unbeaten on 60 when he retired hurt  yesterday while Smith resumes from his unbeaten score of 72.

The start has been delayed by 10 minutes with the ground needing some more work after a light drizzle.

Skipper Michael Clarke was seen batting in the nets which is a good sign for the Aussies although the same cannot be said about the Indians who will want to wrap up the tail quickly.

David Warner compiled a brilliant century, but Australia's joy was tempered with another injury to captain Michael Clarke on an emotional opening day of the first Test against India on Tuesday.

Warner's sparkling 145 from 163 balls had the hosts off to a flying start at a sun-drenched Adelaide Oval, and though India captured a flurry of late wickets, Steven Smith added an unbeaten 72 after tea to push Australia to 354-6 at stumps.

 A day that began solemnly with a slew of tributes to Hughes ended with grave concerns over the fitness of Clarke, who retired hurt on 60 with a lower back injury.

After Warner was caught in the deep when slogging debutant legspinner Karn Sharma, Smith and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh added another 87 runs before the latter was caught behind off the bowling of paceman Varun Aaron.

Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon was bowled for three by Mohammed Shami before wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was caught behind for a duck, bringing the day to a close.

Karn Sharma said India had been buoyed by the late wickets.

"It was very good for us that we came back in the last session," he said. "We are back in the game."