Decision day: Clarke faces fitness test on Saturday ahead of India series
As long as he can run and bat, he can play, says Aussie coach
ADELAIDE:
Australia captain Michael Clarke faces a fitness test at training on Saturday to check on his chances of playing in next week's first Test against India, said coach Darren Lehmann.
Clarke, troubled by a third hamstring setback since August, ran at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday before heading to Adelaide to join the Australia squad later in the day.
The skipper, who was one of the pallbearers and led the tributes at the funeral of his close friend and Test batsman Phillip Hughes on Wednesday, will be given every chance of taking the field in the series opener against India at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday.
"As long as he's fine to do the running and can bat [he'll play]," coach and selector Lehmann told reporters on Friday. "He flies in this afternoon. We'll get him batting on Thursday and see how he goes.
"It'll be case of if he's fine, he'll play. We'll just have to wait and see. We'll be guided by medical staff, the captain himself, selectors. We'll get together and assess what the plan is on Saturday."
Merv Hughes calls for early bouncer
Former Australia fast-bowler Merv Hughes has called for pacemen to send down an early bouncer in Australia's first Test against India to ‘clear the air’ in the wake of Hughes' tragic death.
Former players and pundits have debated whether fast bowlers will be as enthusiastic about using the short ball which is employed to intimidate batsmen as much as taking their wickets. Merv Hughes, who took 212 wickets in 53 tests for Australia, said teams must ‘play on’, citing Australia captain Michael Clarke's moving eulogy at batsman Hughes' funeral on Wednesday.
"There's been bouncers bowled over 100 years of cricket and this was an isolated incident," said Merv on a chat show on broadcaster Fox Sports, referring to the lethal injury sustained by his namesake during a domestic match last week.
"The longer it goes without someone bowling a bouncer, the more it's going to be talked about, the more it's going to be on people's minds. I reckon just to clear the air, the first ball of the game, each game, should just be a bouncer. And just say, 'right, let's get on with business'."
Australia captain Michael Clarke faces a fitness test at training on Saturday to check on his chances of playing in next week's first Test against India, said coach Darren Lehmann.
Clarke, troubled by a third hamstring setback since August, ran at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday before heading to Adelaide to join the Australia squad later in the day.
The skipper, who was one of the pallbearers and led the tributes at the funeral of his close friend and Test batsman Phillip Hughes on Wednesday, will be given every chance of taking the field in the series opener against India at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday.
"As long as he's fine to do the running and can bat [he'll play]," coach and selector Lehmann told reporters on Friday. "He flies in this afternoon. We'll get him batting on Thursday and see how he goes.
"It'll be case of if he's fine, he'll play. We'll just have to wait and see. We'll be guided by medical staff, the captain himself, selectors. We'll get together and assess what the plan is on Saturday."
Merv Hughes calls for early bouncer
Former Australia fast-bowler Merv Hughes has called for pacemen to send down an early bouncer in Australia's first Test against India to ‘clear the air’ in the wake of Hughes' tragic death.
Former players and pundits have debated whether fast bowlers will be as enthusiastic about using the short ball which is employed to intimidate batsmen as much as taking their wickets. Merv Hughes, who took 212 wickets in 53 tests for Australia, said teams must ‘play on’, citing Australia captain Michael Clarke's moving eulogy at batsman Hughes' funeral on Wednesday.
"There's been bouncers bowled over 100 years of cricket and this was an isolated incident," said Merv on a chat show on broadcaster Fox Sports, referring to the lethal injury sustained by his namesake during a domestic match last week.
"The longer it goes without someone bowling a bouncer, the more it's going to be talked about, the more it's going to be on people's minds. I reckon just to clear the air, the first ball of the game, each game, should just be a bouncer. And just say, 'right, let's get on with business'."