Captain Clarke is targeting a whitewash after leading Australia to victory in the opening three Tests. PHOTO: AFP
“People have been asking me how we’re going to approach the ‘Boxing Day Test’ after already winning back the Ashes,” said skipper Clarke. “The answer is easy - full throttle.
“Momentum is a rare and precious commodity. When you have it, you run with it as hard as you can because you’re never sure how long it will last.
“Now that we’re starting to win again it would be silly to take our foot off the gas.”
Clarke has taken Australia to victory in the opening three Tests, ending England’s Ashes dominance.
Wicket-keeper Brad Haddin said the team’s plans had always looked beyond the Ashes to cementing the top spot in Test cricket.
“We want to challenge ourselves to be the best cricketers we can be,” he said. “That’s the path we want to take and a lot of hard work has to go into that. At the moment we’re doing all of the right things to do that.”
You need to beat the best, says Haddin
Australia is currently in fifth place in the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings, while England are two places above them in third behind leaders South Africa and India.
Australia is due to tour South Africa in February and March with Haddin saying that trip would be a ‘true test’ of their current winning form.
“You want to play the best; you’re not going to get to number one hiding away and not playing. You’ve got to beat the best obviously here in our backyard but in theirs as well.”
The fourth Test against England starts in Melbourne on Thursday with the final match in Sydney from January 3.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 25th, 2013.
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