Thursday, 5 January 2012
3rd Test: Dilshan Falls As Sri Lanka Follow On
CAPE TOWN: Sri Lanka faced an uphill battle to avoid defeat after captain Tillekeratne Dilshan was out early in their follow on innings on the third day of the third and final Test against South Africa at Newlands on Thursday.
Scorecard
Sri Lanka were 42 for one at tea, still 299 runs short of making South Africa bat again.
Sri Lanka were earlier bowled out for 239 in their first innings, with fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander taking three wickets apiece.
Philander struck again in the fourth over of the follow on when Dilshan drove loosely at a ball which moved away, edging a catch to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
Lahiru Thirimanne should have followed his fellow opener to the pavilion when he was on 10. He edged Morne Morkel and Boucher put down a straightforward chance. Thirimanne was on 18 not out at tea.
Sri Lanka collapsed in their first innings, losing eight wickets for
90 runs after resuming on 149 for two.
Steyn took three for 56 and Philander three for 46. Both bowled superbly on Thursday, with Steyn's figures for the day an impressive three for 16 off eight overs, while Philander was even better, his three wickets costing 12 runs off nine overs.
Steyn struck with the third ball of the day when Kumar Sangakkara sliced a drive to point without adding to his overnight score of 35.
Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera stayed together for more than an hour before Philander accounted for Samaraweera, who was caught at second slip for 11.
Steyn came back for a second spell and had Jayawardene caught at second slip for 30 with his third ball and Mathews caught behind for a single in his next over.
Dinesh Chandimal, who made two half-centuries on debut in the second Test in Durban, hit 35 off 45 balls but the tail crumbled before he was last man out.
Scorecard
Sri Lanka were 42 for one at tea, still 299 runs short of making South Africa bat again.
Sri Lanka were earlier bowled out for 239 in their first innings, with fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander taking three wickets apiece.
Philander struck again in the fourth over of the follow on when Dilshan drove loosely at a ball which moved away, edging a catch to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
Lahiru Thirimanne should have followed his fellow opener to the pavilion when he was on 10. He edged Morne Morkel and Boucher put down a straightforward chance. Thirimanne was on 18 not out at tea.
Sri Lanka collapsed in their first innings, losing eight wickets for
90 runs after resuming on 149 for two.
Steyn took three for 56 and Philander three for 46. Both bowled superbly on Thursday, with Steyn's figures for the day an impressive three for 16 off eight overs, while Philander was even better, his three wickets costing 12 runs off nine overs.
Steyn struck with the third ball of the day when Kumar Sangakkara sliced a drive to point without adding to his overnight score of 35.
Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera stayed together for more than an hour before Philander accounted for Samaraweera, who was caught at second slip for 11.
Steyn came back for a second spell and had Jayawardene caught at second slip for 30 with his third ball and Mathews caught behind for a single in his next over.
Dinesh Chandimal, who made two half-centuries on debut in the second Test in Durban, hit 35 off 45 balls but the tail crumbled before he was last man out.
Clarke 329 Is Highest Test Mark In Sydney
SYDNEY: After erasing some of Donald Bradman's marks with an unbeaten triple century, Michael Clarke didn't risk upsetting anyone by going on to surpass the great man's highest score.
So he declared Australia's innings at 659-4 when he was 329 not out - five short of the revered Bradman's mark of 334 - at the drinks break in the middle session on Thursday, exactly halfway through the second Test against India.
Australians had a commanding 468-run first innings lead, but on a flat wicket where the bowlers were struggling, Clarke could have easily justified batting on, and breaking a slew of batting records including Brian Lara's mark of 400 for the highest score.
He had already beaten Bradman's record for highest score on home soil by an Australian captain (270), then he'd added the highest score ever at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground, followed by the first triple century at the ground and then just about doubled his own previous highest score of 168.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm stoked that I've managed to make 300-odd runs today but the most important thing for me now is that we win this ," Clarke said, deflecting the attention from the timing of his declaration.
"It's about putting the team first. What I love most about this game, is seeing this team win," he said. "I've been like that as a player and I'll be no different as a captain.
"If it was best for the team to continue batting then I would have continued to bat."
His innings was not even within 50 of an Australian record - Matt Hayden scored a then-world record 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003 - but it was a sign of respect for a more recognized and enduring mark: the 334 scored by Bradman, and equalled but deliberately not surpassed by Mark Taylor.
Clarke's epic innings will go a long way to tipping public support his way, having often struggled to win over a demanding nation of fans who consider the national cricket captaincy second only to the prime minister in terms of importance.
Clarke's talent had never been in doubt since he burst onto the scene in 2004, more than 18 months after establishing himself in the limited-overs squad, by scoring 151 on debut against India at Bangalore.
That innings reflected the precocious talent of the brash youngster from Sydney's western suburbs, who had earned the nickname 'Pup' due to his youthful prowess in provincial cricket and was long considered as a flamboyant run-maker rather than a captain in waiting.
The public's reticence toward Clarke has largely been based on style rather than substance, with fans hesitant to embrace a man who takes a very different approach to the trademark no-frills manner of iconic recent captains like Allan Border and Steve Waugh.
He models underwear, has a collection of tattoos, and is highly conscious of his image - not exactly traits Australian cricket fans would ascribe to favourite sons like Dennis Lillee or David Boon.
His locker room spat with former opener Simon Katich for wanting to leave to spend time with his girlfriend rather than keep celebrating a victory in Sydney has become the stuff of legend and polarized opinion.
Clarke's struggle for fans' acceptance was illustrated last Australian summer when he was booed by a crowd when he walked out to bat in a one-dayer in the wake of Ashes series defeat, when the national team at its nadir after a decade at the top of the game.
But Clarke's four centuries in nine Tests since officially replacing Ricky Ponting as captain have hushed some critics who didn't think he was leadership material.
"It's about respect, it's about continuing to earn the public's respect. That's all I've ever wanted," Clarke said after his 18th and, by far his biggest, hundred. "If people are going to dislike me that's life, that's the way it is. But the most important thing for me, especially being the Australian captain now, you want your home fans to respect you."
His latest innings had a precarious start, with Australia at 37-3 after removing India for 191 on the opening day of the 100th at the SCG. But after sharing back-to-back partnerships of 288 with Ponting (134) and 334 with Mike Hussey (150 not out), he increased his batting average as Australian captain above 59.
Clarke's campaign to bat his way into public affection is progressing well, if judged by the prolonged and raucous standing ovation he received Thursday when he clipped off his pads through mid-wicket for a boundary to bring up his 300.
It came in the wake of a tumultuous initial stint as captain, which included a horrendous loss in Cape Town when Australia was bowled out for 47 followed by a courageous win over the South Africans in Johannesburg.
A big victory over New Zealand followed that to open the Australian season last month, but that win was followed by a shocking loss in Hobart _ Australia's first loss to the Kiwis on home soil in 26 years.
Mark Taylor had no problem with public support as captain in between the tenures of Allan Border and Steve Waugh.
He only enhanced his reputation when he declared Australia's innings after a night of contemplation when he'd reached 334 not out against Pakistan at Peshawar in 1998. Taylor even had a telephone discussion with then Australian Prime Minister John Howard before formally announcing his decision to declare, and hence be forever linked with Bradman.
Taylor was in a TV commentary box at the SCG when Clarke declared on day three, clearly surprised at the decision. He'd earlier joked that Australia had enough and made the mock gesture of calling the players off the field.
"I had a feeling he might get to 334 and think about it," Taylor, wearing a pink suit in support of a charity, said in the broadcast. "The drinks break came at probably just the wrong time for Michael Clarke. It wouldn't have surprised me if I saw him walk off with 334, not for me but more for somebody like Sir Donald Bradman."
But Taylor backed the decision, saying Clarke had put the team's pursuit of victory above any personal milestones.
"What a great day, not just for Michael Clarke, but for cricket," Taylor said. "Millions of views around the world have enjoyed this for cricket's sake."
Friends and fans rushed to praise Clarke, perhaps none more than Taylor.
"He's a guy who loves the game of cricket and I don't think people have quite understood that with Michael," he said. "He had an opportunity to make the world record today, there's no doubt about that. He could've done that and still had two days to bowl India out and win this .
"He could've achieved both goals but what he wanted to say is 'yes, I want to do well myself ... but I want to captain a side that's going to win first.'
"A lot of people focused on the negatives ... but now he is the main man. I think we're starting to see the real Michael Clarke."
So he declared Australia's innings at 659-4 when he was 329 not out - five short of the revered Bradman's mark of 334 - at the drinks break in the middle session on Thursday, exactly halfway through the second Test against India.
Australians had a commanding 468-run first innings lead, but on a flat wicket where the bowlers were struggling, Clarke could have easily justified batting on, and breaking a slew of batting records including Brian Lara's mark of 400 for the highest score.
He had already beaten Bradman's record for highest score on home soil by an Australian captain (270), then he'd added the highest score ever at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground, followed by the first triple century at the ground and then just about doubled his own previous highest score of 168.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm stoked that I've managed to make 300-odd runs today but the most important thing for me now is that we win this ," Clarke said, deflecting the attention from the timing of his declaration.
"It's about putting the team first. What I love most about this game, is seeing this team win," he said. "I've been like that as a player and I'll be no different as a captain.
"If it was best for the team to continue batting then I would have continued to bat."
His innings was not even within 50 of an Australian record - Matt Hayden scored a then-world record 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003 - but it was a sign of respect for a more recognized and enduring mark: the 334 scored by Bradman, and equalled but deliberately not surpassed by Mark Taylor.
Clarke's epic innings will go a long way to tipping public support his way, having often struggled to win over a demanding nation of fans who consider the national cricket captaincy second only to the prime minister in terms of importance.
Clarke's talent had never been in doubt since he burst onto the scene in 2004, more than 18 months after establishing himself in the limited-overs squad, by scoring 151 on debut against India at Bangalore.
That innings reflected the precocious talent of the brash youngster from Sydney's western suburbs, who had earned the nickname 'Pup' due to his youthful prowess in provincial cricket and was long considered as a flamboyant run-maker rather than a captain in waiting.
The public's reticence toward Clarke has largely been based on style rather than substance, with fans hesitant to embrace a man who takes a very different approach to the trademark no-frills manner of iconic recent captains like Allan Border and Steve Waugh.
He models underwear, has a collection of tattoos, and is highly conscious of his image - not exactly traits Australian cricket fans would ascribe to favourite sons like Dennis Lillee or David Boon.
His locker room spat with former opener Simon Katich for wanting to leave to spend time with his girlfriend rather than keep celebrating a victory in Sydney has become the stuff of legend and polarized opinion.
Clarke's struggle for fans' acceptance was illustrated last Australian summer when he was booed by a crowd when he walked out to bat in a one-dayer in the wake of Ashes series defeat, when the national team at its nadir after a decade at the top of the game.
But Clarke's four centuries in nine Tests since officially replacing Ricky Ponting as captain have hushed some critics who didn't think he was leadership material.
"It's about respect, it's about continuing to earn the public's respect. That's all I've ever wanted," Clarke said after his 18th and, by far his biggest, hundred. "If people are going to dislike me that's life, that's the way it is. But the most important thing for me, especially being the Australian captain now, you want your home fans to respect you."
His latest innings had a precarious start, with Australia at 37-3 after removing India for 191 on the opening day of the 100th at the SCG. But after sharing back-to-back partnerships of 288 with Ponting (134) and 334 with Mike Hussey (150 not out), he increased his batting average as Australian captain above 59.
Clarke's campaign to bat his way into public affection is progressing well, if judged by the prolonged and raucous standing ovation he received Thursday when he clipped off his pads through mid-wicket for a boundary to bring up his 300.
It came in the wake of a tumultuous initial stint as captain, which included a horrendous loss in Cape Town when Australia was bowled out for 47 followed by a courageous win over the South Africans in Johannesburg.
A big victory over New Zealand followed that to open the Australian season last month, but that win was followed by a shocking loss in Hobart _ Australia's first loss to the Kiwis on home soil in 26 years.
Mark Taylor had no problem with public support as captain in between the tenures of Allan Border and Steve Waugh.
He only enhanced his reputation when he declared Australia's innings after a night of contemplation when he'd reached 334 not out against Pakistan at Peshawar in 1998. Taylor even had a telephone discussion with then Australian Prime Minister John Howard before formally announcing his decision to declare, and hence be forever linked with Bradman.
Taylor was in a TV commentary box at the SCG when Clarke declared on day three, clearly surprised at the decision. He'd earlier joked that Australia had enough and made the mock gesture of calling the players off the field.
"I had a feeling he might get to 334 and think about it," Taylor, wearing a pink suit in support of a charity, said in the broadcast. "The drinks break came at probably just the wrong time for Michael Clarke. It wouldn't have surprised me if I saw him walk off with 334, not for me but more for somebody like Sir Donald Bradman."
But Taylor backed the decision, saying Clarke had put the team's pursuit of victory above any personal milestones.
"What a great day, not just for Michael Clarke, but for cricket," Taylor said. "Millions of views around the world have enjoyed this for cricket's sake."
Friends and fans rushed to praise Clarke, perhaps none more than Taylor.
"He's a guy who loves the game of cricket and I don't think people have quite understood that with Michael," he said. "He had an opportunity to make the world record today, there's no doubt about that. He could've done that and still had two days to bowl India out and win this .
"He could've achieved both goals but what he wanted to say is 'yes, I want to do well myself ... but I want to captain a side that's going to win first.'
"A lot of people focused on the negatives ... but now he is the main man. I think we're starting to see the real Michael Clarke."
We Need To Go Out And Show Some Fight: Dravid
SYDNEY: With India heading towards their sixth consecutive overseas Test defeat, veteran batsman Rahul Dravid on Thursday said his team has quality batsmen but they need some inspiration to fight back and save the second Test.
Scorecard
"The key for us is to keep them on the field for a long period of time. If we can keep their bowlers and fielders on the field for more than 100 overs. Then we can put them under pressure and some of their bowlers will wilt", said Dravid after the third day's play during which Australia declared for 659 for 4 in the first innings before reducing India to 114 for two in their second essay.
"Sadly in the three innings we have played so far, we haven't been able to do that. They kept up on the field for a long time today. We need to try and do that.
"We have probably been in the field much longer. They put us under the pump. The real key for us is to keep them in the field for that long. They are coming in hard, running in hard. The last spell they bowled really well. After drinks the last 15 overs they came in really hard. That's one of the challenges," he added.
Hoping that India would be able to bat after tea on Friday, Dravid said, "That's where the real challenge is. If we can hang in there, play out time, and have them on the field for a long time."
Dravid refused to predict whether India would save the Test by batting out the next two days.
"I don't know we can think about saving the game right now. We need to go out there and show some fight. And bat as long as we can. Who knows what can happen? We have got quality batsmen who can bat long periods. I am sure the guys will go out and fight and do the best they can," he insisted.
India were revived in 2001 home series when Dravid and VVS Laxman batted the length of a full day's play at Eden Gardens and turned the series around and Dravid hoped for a similar inspiration for his team.
"I would hope so. We need a lift. We need to perform better than we have. We have not played well in the last three days. We need some inspiration," he said.
Dravid believed the challenge for his side's batsmen is both mental and physical.
"Part of the challenge is mental. Part of it is physical and technical. Physically you have to bat for long period of times. Technically, they have a good attack that is bowling well. So you have to counter them technically as well. It's a combination of effort. If we are going to save the game, we need everything to work for us."
The former skipper said he expects to turn his own fortune around in the present series in which he has been consistently getting out bowled to Australian bowlers.
"I feel I have been batting well. Hopefully, in the next couple of Tests, I will be able to convert one of these starts. Sometimes you can't read too much into things," said Dravid.
Dravid was out bowled in both innings of the first Test and had a reprieve too when Peter Siddle had bowled him off a no-ball. He again has been found out leaving a gap between his bat and pad in the second innings in the SCG Test.
"To be fair, there have been couple of pretty good balls. It's not like I have got out, you know, inner-edging. A couple of good balls, a couple of things, I could have done differently," Dravid insisted.
Stating that he was disappointed with his side's effort in the series so far, the veteran batsman said, "I'm a little bit disappointed here in the sense. Okay in the England, we were not always with our best attack. Due to injuries and various other reasons, our bowling attack in England wasn't the best possible attack.
"Here we had the best bowling attack we can possibly hope for. So it is obviously disappointing." Dravid said.
Dravid lamented that bowlers were not only failing to get wickets but were also not able to stop the flow of runs.
"We are obviously disappointed. Once partnership develop, and runs go, we need to pull it back and try to control the runs. Having said that, it's not easy. It's something we need to consider. We can't afford to give a lot of runs. Even if we don't take wickets, we have to stop the run flow," he said.
Indian field placement were also "defensive" and came in for criticism from experts but Dravid felt that with just 191 runs in the first innings, it was difficult to do anything.
"It's hard when you are under the pump, you have 190 runs to play with, and the game is running away from you. The wicket was pretty flat. You try and bring the field up and they were stepping out and hitting it over the top, or piercing the field. You try to push the field back to control the runs for a bit and may be get a wicket and bring it back in. We didn't get a wicket all day. Sometimes it happens.
"After Ponting got out, we brought the field up, but (Mike) Hussey came out and played a few really good shots. Again you are forced to push the field back because the game is running away from you very quickly."
Dravid also did not find anything wrong with his team's decision to bat first on winning the toss.
"I don't think it was a wrong decision to bat first. We didn't bat well, that's why we find ourselves in this situation. I think we knew it was going to be challenging. The first 35-40 overs on the first morning were always going to be a challenge. We didn't bat particularly well. 190 in not good enough on that wicket", he said.
"The wicket hasn't changed too much. If anything it is a bit slower. There wasn't much turn for Ashwin, not for Nathan Lyon in the couple of overs he bowled. Shot-making might be a little bit more difficult because of the slowness," Dravid explained.
Applauding the Australian bowlers for their efforts, Dravid said, "Obviously they are pitching it up. The ball started to reverse a little bit. When you are pitching it up, and it is reversing, obviously they are looking to bowl...it's pretty obvious. The ball is hard and swinging normally, you look to bring the slips into play.
"Once the ball becomes old, obviously they are looking to attack the stumps. I can understand that's what they are trying to do. They have bowled pretty good balls."
Dravid expressed happiness that opener Gautam Gambhir (68 not out) could manage to score some runs.
"I'm happy for him. He has worked very hard. Been under a lot of pressure obviously. He wants to score runs, keen to do well. He played positively. Later towards the end of the day, when things were tough, he gritted it out and hung in there. Hopefully, he can convert into a big one. We know he likes batting for long hours," he said.
Scorecard
"The key for us is to keep them on the field for a long period of time. If we can keep their bowlers and fielders on the field for more than 100 overs. Then we can put them under pressure and some of their bowlers will wilt", said Dravid after the third day's play during which Australia declared for 659 for 4 in the first innings before reducing India to 114 for two in their second essay.
"Sadly in the three innings we have played so far, we haven't been able to do that. They kept up on the field for a long time today. We need to try and do that.
"We have probably been in the field much longer. They put us under the pump. The real key for us is to keep them in the field for that long. They are coming in hard, running in hard. The last spell they bowled really well. After drinks the last 15 overs they came in really hard. That's one of the challenges," he added.
Hoping that India would be able to bat after tea on Friday, Dravid said, "That's where the real challenge is. If we can hang in there, play out time, and have them on the field for a long time."
Dravid refused to predict whether India would save the Test by batting out the next two days.
"I don't know we can think about saving the game right now. We need to go out there and show some fight. And bat as long as we can. Who knows what can happen? We have got quality batsmen who can bat long periods. I am sure the guys will go out and fight and do the best they can," he insisted.
India were revived in 2001 home series when Dravid and VVS Laxman batted the length of a full day's play at Eden Gardens and turned the series around and Dravid hoped for a similar inspiration for his team.
"I would hope so. We need a lift. We need to perform better than we have. We have not played well in the last three days. We need some inspiration," he said.
Dravid believed the challenge for his side's batsmen is both mental and physical.
"Part of the challenge is mental. Part of it is physical and technical. Physically you have to bat for long period of times. Technically, they have a good attack that is bowling well. So you have to counter them technically as well. It's a combination of effort. If we are going to save the game, we need everything to work for us."
The former skipper said he expects to turn his own fortune around in the present series in which he has been consistently getting out bowled to Australian bowlers.
"I feel I have been batting well. Hopefully, in the next couple of Tests, I will be able to convert one of these starts. Sometimes you can't read too much into things," said Dravid.
Dravid was out bowled in both innings of the first Test and had a reprieve too when Peter Siddle had bowled him off a no-ball. He again has been found out leaving a gap between his bat and pad in the second innings in the SCG Test.
"To be fair, there have been couple of pretty good balls. It's not like I have got out, you know, inner-edging. A couple of good balls, a couple of things, I could have done differently," Dravid insisted.
Stating that he was disappointed with his side's effort in the series so far, the veteran batsman said, "I'm a little bit disappointed here in the sense. Okay in the England, we were not always with our best attack. Due to injuries and various other reasons, our bowling attack in England wasn't the best possible attack.
"Here we had the best bowling attack we can possibly hope for. So it is obviously disappointing." Dravid said.
Dravid lamented that bowlers were not only failing to get wickets but were also not able to stop the flow of runs.
"We are obviously disappointed. Once partnership develop, and runs go, we need to pull it back and try to control the runs. Having said that, it's not easy. It's something we need to consider. We can't afford to give a lot of runs. Even if we don't take wickets, we have to stop the run flow," he said.
Indian field placement were also "defensive" and came in for criticism from experts but Dravid felt that with just 191 runs in the first innings, it was difficult to do anything.
"It's hard when you are under the pump, you have 190 runs to play with, and the game is running away from you. The wicket was pretty flat. You try and bring the field up and they were stepping out and hitting it over the top, or piercing the field. You try to push the field back to control the runs for a bit and may be get a wicket and bring it back in. We didn't get a wicket all day. Sometimes it happens.
"After Ponting got out, we brought the field up, but (Mike) Hussey came out and played a few really good shots. Again you are forced to push the field back because the game is running away from you very quickly."
Dravid also did not find anything wrong with his team's decision to bat first on winning the toss.
"I don't think it was a wrong decision to bat first. We didn't bat well, that's why we find ourselves in this situation. I think we knew it was going to be challenging. The first 35-40 overs on the first morning were always going to be a challenge. We didn't bat particularly well. 190 in not good enough on that wicket", he said.
"The wicket hasn't changed too much. If anything it is a bit slower. There wasn't much turn for Ashwin, not for Nathan Lyon in the couple of overs he bowled. Shot-making might be a little bit more difficult because of the slowness," Dravid explained.
Applauding the Australian bowlers for their efforts, Dravid said, "Obviously they are pitching it up. The ball started to reverse a little bit. When you are pitching it up, and it is reversing, obviously they are looking to bowl...it's pretty obvious. The ball is hard and swinging normally, you look to bring the slips into play.
"Once the ball becomes old, obviously they are looking to attack the stumps. I can understand that's what they are trying to do. They have bowled pretty good balls."
Dravid expressed happiness that opener Gautam Gambhir (68 not out) could manage to score some runs.
"I'm happy for him. He has worked very hard. Been under a lot of pressure obviously. He wants to score runs, keen to do well. He played positively. Later towards the end of the day, when things were tough, he gritted it out and hung in there. Hopefully, he can convert into a big one. We know he likes batting for long hours," he said.
Bradman And Taylor's Record Didn't Cross My Mind, Says Clarke
SYDNEY: Australia captain Michael Clarke on Thursday said he didn't think of Don Bradman and Mark Taylor's record when he made a surprise declaration and all that he thought was to give his bowlers enough time to dismiss India for a second time and win the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground ( SCG).
Scorecard
Clarke was unbeaten on 329 and Australia were 659 for four when he decided to make India bat in the second innings. He was five runs short of equalling Bradman and Taylor's record of 334, the highest Test score by an Australian.
"I didn't think about it (records) at all, I didn't have Don Bradman or Mark Taylor's score in my head whatsoever," Clarke told reporters when asked about the record.
"It was about trying to get the team to a number, a total I thought would be a good score to make a declaration, then have a crack this afternoon to get a couple of wickets. If it was best for the team to continue batting I would have continued to bat," he said.
The 30-year-old said his achievement would mean little unless they win the match.
"I don't think it will sink in properly until we win the Test match. That is why we play, that was my goal walking out there today. Don't get me wrong, I am stoked that I have managed to make 300-odd runs in this Test match, but the most important thing for me now is we win the Test.
"That was a big part of the reason for my declaration. I spoke to Hussey just before we declared and I really wanted him to make 150, he deserved it, and once he got that I thought now we have a 450-run lead, it is a good time to pull up stumps and try to get a couple of wickets tonight," he said.
Clarke said he didn't expect to score 300 as he had never batted for that long prior to his remarkable innings.
"I didn't expect to score 300 in one innings, so the fact I have done that I am stoked, and as for all the other records, I am happy where I sit, to be honest.
"Batting the amount of time for me was the toughest thing. I have never batted that long in any form of the game in any team in my career.
"Physically I felt pretty good, when I came to the ground I felt pretty fresh, and my body felt in a pretty good position. It is just the mental application and concentration that you need to have."
Scorecard
Clarke was unbeaten on 329 and Australia were 659 for four when he decided to make India bat in the second innings. He was five runs short of equalling Bradman and Taylor's record of 334, the highest Test score by an Australian.
"I didn't think about it (records) at all, I didn't have Don Bradman or Mark Taylor's score in my head whatsoever," Clarke told reporters when asked about the record.
"It was about trying to get the team to a number, a total I thought would be a good score to make a declaration, then have a crack this afternoon to get a couple of wickets. If it was best for the team to continue batting I would have continued to bat," he said.
The 30-year-old said his achievement would mean little unless they win the match.
"I don't think it will sink in properly until we win the Test match. That is why we play, that was my goal walking out there today. Don't get me wrong, I am stoked that I have managed to make 300-odd runs in this Test match, but the most important thing for me now is we win the Test.
"That was a big part of the reason for my declaration. I spoke to Hussey just before we declared and I really wanted him to make 150, he deserved it, and once he got that I thought now we have a 450-run lead, it is a good time to pull up stumps and try to get a couple of wickets tonight," he said.
Clarke said he didn't expect to score 300 as he had never batted for that long prior to his remarkable innings.
"I didn't expect to score 300 in one innings, so the fact I have done that I am stoked, and as for all the other records, I am happy where I sit, to be honest.
"Batting the amount of time for me was the toughest thing. I have never batted that long in any form of the game in any team in my career.
"Physically I felt pretty good, when I came to the ground I felt pretty fresh, and my body felt in a pretty good position. It is just the mental application and concentration that you need to have."
Ind Vs Aus: India Fight To Save Sydney Test After Clarke Triple Ton
SYDNEY: A hapless India faced the prospect of another humiliating defeat as Australia rode on skipper Michael Clarke's maiden triple hundred and Michael Hussey's 150 to score a mammoth first innings total of 659/4 declared and take complete command of the second Test on Thursday.
Scorecard | Match in Pics
At stumps on the third day, India were trailing by 354 runs after losing a couple of wickets at the Sydney Cricket Ground. India face the daunting task of batting out two full days, which raises the possibility of an innings defeat in the match.
Opener Virender Sehwag (4) and an uncertain Rahul Dravid (29) were cooling their heels in the pavilion, leaving Gautam Gambhir (68) and Sachin Tendulkar (8) to fight. The visitors were 114/2 in their second dig in the 41 overs and nearly half the day of batting they got.
Gambhir has so far batted for three hours and struck nine fours off 124 balls. Tendulkar's grim 8 was made in over an hour's batting and he faced 42 balls.
Earlier, Australia continued their firm grip on the match by stretching their overnight score of 482/4 to 659 an hour after lunch without losing a single wicket.
Michael Hussey, overnight 55, remained unbeaten on 150 but the glory of the day belonged to Clarke who was left unconquered on 329, the highest score ever made at the SCG, which is hosting its 100th Test.
Hussey reached his century before lunch but Clarke had to wait till resumption to get to his triple century. The Australian captain, overnight 251, was slow to get off the blocks and had added only 42 runs by lunch as only 13 runs came off his bat in the first hour.
Still, Australia were past 500 runs in the first hour, a feat they had done nearly 22 months and 17 Tests ago -- against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton in March 2010.
All along, landmarks kept falling like nine pins against Clarke's name. When he had added seven runs to his overnight total, he overtook Ricky Ponting as the highest scorer ever against India. Ponting had made 257 in the 1999-2000 Test at Melbourne.
Clarke swept off-spinner Ashwin to square leg fence through a packed onside field to move to 280 which took him past 277 that West Indian legend Brian Lara made at this venue in a 1992-93 series.
Clarke stroked Ishant Sharma through the covers to become the highest scorer at the SCG, going past the 287 which R E Foster of England made in a 1903-04 series just a few minutes before the lunch interval.
Clarke cut another four in the same over, dangerously close to VVS Laxman at slips, to move to within seven runs of his triple century.
Hussey had reached his own hundred, his 16th in his 68th Test, and was unbeaten on 111 at lunch.
The pair raised the 200 for the stand when Hussey back cut Umesh Yadav crisply past the point boundary. It took 206 minutes and 307 balls for the 200-run stand.
By lunch, the two had put on 258 runs for the fifth wicket and the score read 583/4.
On resumption, Clarke reached the all-important landmark when he clipped Ishant Sharma to midwicket fence.
The two were still going strong when the declaration arrived as soon as Hussey reached his 150. Clarke was unbeaten on 329 at the other end and Australia had stretched their lead to 468 runs.
Clarke's score is the fourth highest score by an Australian in Test cricket, behind Matthew Hayden (380), Sir Donald Bradman (334) and Mark Taylor (334).
This was the 25th instance of a triple century in Test cricket. Only Bradman, Brian Lara, Virender Sehwag and Chris Gayle are the four batsmen who have hit triple century twice in Tests.
That makes Clarke only the 21st batsman in game's annals to crack the code of a triple century.
For records, this is after 95 Tests that an Australian has thrashed a triple century. Matthew Hayden was the last one to do so -- a total of 380 against Zimbabwe at WACA, Perth in 2003.
In all, Clarke batted for 617 minutes and hit 39 fours and a six from 468 balls. Hussey batted for 312 minutes and 253 balls and smashed 16 fours and a six.
India began on a familiar dismal note when Sehwag cut an ordinary delivery from Ben Hilfenhaus to point where David Warner took a wonderful acrobatic catch.
But Gambhir was looking in fine nick as he hit a few glorious strokes in his 39 before tea. In the very first over itself, bowled by James Pattinson, he thrashed two cuts through point for boundaries.
He then twice drove Peter Siddle in succession to cover boundary. It was followed by a straight drive off Siddle which he executed with utmost aplomb.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon, in his second over, the final one before tea, was hit for two fours by Gambhir -- both slammed through the cover region as India took tea at 53/1.
Gambhir duly reached his half-century in the final session, having taken only 54 balls and hitting eight fours.
Dravid, at the other end, hit a few fine strokes on either side of the wicket but he did appear a man with more than one worry in his head.
The veteran batsman once dangerously inside edged a delivery past his stumps for four and then fell prey in now all too characteristic fashion in this series.
Dravid came forward to an off-cutter from Hilfenhaus and left a little gap between his bat and pad. It was enough for the ball to sneak through and hit the top of the middle stump.
Dravid batted for 102 minutes and 73 balls for his 29 runs and hit six fours. He put on 72 runs for the second wicket with Gambhir.
Gambhir and Tendulkar dropped anchor and were just intent to see through the day. Overs after overs passed without a run being added to the total.
Gambhir took a run after being run-less for 34 balls and Tendulkar went past his three runs through a streaky four only after defending 51 deliveries.
In the dying minutes of the game, Gambhir received a chance when he edged an easy catch towards the wicketkeeper but Brad Haddin just couldn't lay his hands to the edge. James Pattinson was the aggrieved bowler for Australia.
Scorecard | Match in Pics
At stumps on the third day, India were trailing by 354 runs after losing a couple of wickets at the Sydney Cricket Ground. India face the daunting task of batting out two full days, which raises the possibility of an innings defeat in the match.
Opener Virender Sehwag (4) and an uncertain Rahul Dravid (29) were cooling their heels in the pavilion, leaving Gautam Gambhir (68) and Sachin Tendulkar (8) to fight. The visitors were 114/2 in their second dig in the 41 overs and nearly half the day of batting they got.
Gambhir has so far batted for three hours and struck nine fours off 124 balls. Tendulkar's grim 8 was made in over an hour's batting and he faced 42 balls.
Earlier, Australia continued their firm grip on the match by stretching their overnight score of 482/4 to 659 an hour after lunch without losing a single wicket.
Michael Hussey, overnight 55, remained unbeaten on 150 but the glory of the day belonged to Clarke who was left unconquered on 329, the highest score ever made at the SCG, which is hosting its 100th Test.
Hussey reached his century before lunch but Clarke had to wait till resumption to get to his triple century. The Australian captain, overnight 251, was slow to get off the blocks and had added only 42 runs by lunch as only 13 runs came off his bat in the first hour.
Still, Australia were past 500 runs in the first hour, a feat they had done nearly 22 months and 17 Tests ago -- against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton in March 2010.
All along, landmarks kept falling like nine pins against Clarke's name. When he had added seven runs to his overnight total, he overtook Ricky Ponting as the highest scorer ever against India. Ponting had made 257 in the 1999-2000 Test at Melbourne.
Clarke swept off-spinner Ashwin to square leg fence through a packed onside field to move to 280 which took him past 277 that West Indian legend Brian Lara made at this venue in a 1992-93 series.
Clarke stroked Ishant Sharma through the covers to become the highest scorer at the SCG, going past the 287 which R E Foster of England made in a 1903-04 series just a few minutes before the lunch interval.
Clarke cut another four in the same over, dangerously close to VVS Laxman at slips, to move to within seven runs of his triple century.
Hussey had reached his own hundred, his 16th in his 68th Test, and was unbeaten on 111 at lunch.
The pair raised the 200 for the stand when Hussey back cut Umesh Yadav crisply past the point boundary. It took 206 minutes and 307 balls for the 200-run stand.
By lunch, the two had put on 258 runs for the fifth wicket and the score read 583/4.
On resumption, Clarke reached the all-important landmark when he clipped Ishant Sharma to midwicket fence.
The two were still going strong when the declaration arrived as soon as Hussey reached his 150. Clarke was unbeaten on 329 at the other end and Australia had stretched their lead to 468 runs.
Clarke's score is the fourth highest score by an Australian in Test cricket, behind Matthew Hayden (380), Sir Donald Bradman (334) and Mark Taylor (334).
This was the 25th instance of a triple century in Test cricket. Only Bradman, Brian Lara, Virender Sehwag and Chris Gayle are the four batsmen who have hit triple century twice in Tests.
That makes Clarke only the 21st batsman in game's annals to crack the code of a triple century.
For records, this is after 95 Tests that an Australian has thrashed a triple century. Matthew Hayden was the last one to do so -- a total of 380 against Zimbabwe at WACA, Perth in 2003.
In all, Clarke batted for 617 minutes and hit 39 fours and a six from 468 balls. Hussey batted for 312 minutes and 253 balls and smashed 16 fours and a six.
India began on a familiar dismal note when Sehwag cut an ordinary delivery from Ben Hilfenhaus to point where David Warner took a wonderful acrobatic catch.
But Gambhir was looking in fine nick as he hit a few glorious strokes in his 39 before tea. In the very first over itself, bowled by James Pattinson, he thrashed two cuts through point for boundaries.
He then twice drove Peter Siddle in succession to cover boundary. It was followed by a straight drive off Siddle which he executed with utmost aplomb.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon, in his second over, the final one before tea, was hit for two fours by Gambhir -- both slammed through the cover region as India took tea at 53/1.
Gambhir duly reached his half-century in the final session, having taken only 54 balls and hitting eight fours.
Dravid, at the other end, hit a few fine strokes on either side of the wicket but he did appear a man with more than one worry in his head.
The veteran batsman once dangerously inside edged a delivery past his stumps for four and then fell prey in now all too characteristic fashion in this series.
Dravid came forward to an off-cutter from Hilfenhaus and left a little gap between his bat and pad. It was enough for the ball to sneak through and hit the top of the middle stump.
Dravid batted for 102 minutes and 73 balls for his 29 runs and hit six fours. He put on 72 runs for the second wicket with Gambhir.
Gambhir and Tendulkar dropped anchor and were just intent to see through the day. Overs after overs passed without a run being added to the total.
Gambhir took a run after being run-less for 34 balls and Tendulkar went past his three runs through a streaky four only after defending 51 deliveries.
In the dying minutes of the game, Gambhir received a chance when he edged an easy catch towards the wicketkeeper but Brad Haddin just couldn't lay his hands to the edge. James Pattinson was the aggrieved bowler for Australia.
