By IANS,
New Delhi : Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke termed India’s move of sending a night watchman defensive and said it is reflective of host’s reluctance to go all out to pull an unlikely win on the final day of the third Test here Sunday.
“India will not set a target for us. On the final day it seems only one team (Australia) will try to go for a win. They (India) made their intentions clear by sending a night watchman,” Clarke told reporters here.
India lead by 79 runs after ending the fourth day’s play at 43 for two in their second innings at the Feroz Shah Kotla here Saturday. India declared its first innings for a mammoth 613 for seven while Australia riding on a century from Clarke (112) made 577.
Clarke also thanked the Indian fielders for giving him three opportunities to get to his eighth Test century. The 27-year-old was dropped when on 21, 91 and 94.
Clarke, however, said he was not happy with his hundred.
“Very lucky today that I got my hundred. I could have been out before 40 and a couple of times in the 90s. So, it was the one, I wasn’t happy with,” he said.
Australia started the day with a deficit of 275 runs, but some solid batting from Clarke, Shane Watson (37) and Cameron White (44) helped the visitors claw back to a position from where they can’t lose the match.
Clarke said the start given by openers Matthew Hayden (83) and Simon Katich (64) was crucial in the team’s performance Saturday.
“Hayden and Katich had set it for us. So our job today was to bat as long as we can. But we were not expecting to score as much as we did,” he said.
The Australian deputy went on to say he is still hopeful of winning the match and level the series here.
“We will try to win this match and for that we have to pick couple of wickets early. There is some spin on this track and hopefully our spinners will get the benefit out of it,” he said.