2nd Test: Spin will be chief tormentor again, says Clarke

Australia captain wary as tourists look to bounce back against India today.

Australia captain Michael Clarke said they will have to be careful against the Indian spin-bowling attack as the two sides clash in the second Test in Hyderabad today.

Clarke reckoned spin will ‘again play a big role’ in the match saying the pitch at the Uppal Stadium is very similar to the one used in the first Test, which they lost by eight wickets.

“There are a lot of similarities to the Chennai pitch in regards to the wicket,” he said. “It looks as if it (pitch) was prepared quite early. It’s going to be quite a dry and obviously spin will again play a big part.

“There will also be irregular bounce. I would be very surprised if India don’t play with three spinners at least.”

Despite conditions looking favourable for spinners, Clarke was non-committal on whether he would play another one to partner Nathan Lyon in attack.

“Let me have a look at the wicket and then I will sit with the selectors and decide on the XI,” said Clarke. “I will have to check whether playing an extra spinner will be a better option than playing an extra fast bowler. We want to assess the conditions well and then make sure that we select the best XI.”

The right-handed batsman also acknowledged that India were favourites playing at home but his Australian side is good enough to pose a formidable challenge to the sub-continent giants.

“When you come to India, you know that the Indian team will be very comfortable because they play here on a regular basis. It’s the same with the Australian team. We are very comfortable playing in our own backyard.

“The challenge is to make sure that you perform all over the world. Personally, this tour of India is a huge challenge for me as a captain. We have had a pretty consistent success rate in Australia and we want that to happen on overseas tours as well.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2013.