Clarke looks for respect after Ashes near miss
Michael Clarke is adamant Australia can lift their shattered emotions in time for a must-win second Ashes Test at Lord’s starting on Thursday.
In one of the most dramatic and controversial Ashes matches in history, it came as little surprise that it was the decision review system (DRS) that eventually inflicted the most heartbreaking of defeats on Australia.
England secured a pulsating 14-point victory shortly after lunch on the final day, when man-of-the-match James Anderson had Brad Haddin caught behind, the feathered nick only barely showing up on HotSpot.
It was the correct call.
But Haddin being given out for the slightest of nicks – when England’s Stuart Broad managed to survive smashing a ball to first slip earlier in the match – made defeat a bitter pill for Australia to swallow.
Despite an inspired 65-run final-wicket stand from Haddin (71) and James Pattinson (25no) that started with the tourists still needing 80 more, Australia were forced to watch on in despair as England celebrated wildly in front of a sold-out 17,000-strong crowd at Trent Bridge.
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Despite the second Test starting in just four days, Clarke says his young team can continue to show courage and bounce back and win the Ashes.
“I don’t think it will be that difficult, to be honest,” said Clarke, who refused to blame umpiring decisions for the loss.
“We feel we were so close to winning this Test, but I can guarantee they’ll be counting down the next four days to start the second Test.
“The guys are full of energy and we want to have success on this tour.
“We will play our best cricket and earn the respect of the people who don’t respect us.”
After being set a Trent Bridge record 311 to win, Australia needed 137 on day five.
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But Anderson took the four wickets England needed for victory, and justified his reputation as the premier fast bowler in the world, with 10 for the match.
He bowled 13 straight overs to start day five and briefly went off the field for treatment.
But when Australia came back from lunch needing just 20 more to win, Anderson was there to greet them and, three overs later, he ended the match.
England captain Alastair Cook said his side couldn’t afford go to Lord’s thinking they’d already psychologically knocked out Australia.
“No, I don’t think so. It’s been a great Test match, a very even Test match. I don’t think I’ve played in one in which the momentum has changed so quickly, so often,” he said.
“Clearly they are going to be disappointed like we would have been but it’s all set up nicely now for Lord’s.”
Australia were looking to exorcise their demons from their horror two-run loss to England at Edgbaston in 2005, which played out in eerily similar circumstances.
On that fateful day, Michael Kasprowicz and Brett Lee put on 59 for the last wicket to get within two runs of chasing down 282 – before Kasprowicz contentiously gloved one behind.
But instead of revenge, the nightmare continued.
“It probably does hurt you more when you are captain because I guess you’re a little bit older and I care so much about the guys that I’m surrounded by,” Clarke said.
“That’s part of my job now to make sure all the boys are up and ready for what lies ahead in four days.”
By the numbers:
- Australia have lost three Ashes Tests in a row. The last time they did that was in 1985 -1986/87. Australia’s worst losing streak in Ashes Tests is seven between 1885 and 1888.
- Australia have now lost their last 5 Tests (4 in India and this one). Their worst losing streaks are the 7 to England (1885-1888), 6 – all to West Indies in 1984 and 5 – all against England between 1926 and 1929.
- England took a 1-0 Ashes series lead for the first time since 1997.
- The last time England won a first Test and went on to win a series was back in 1986-87.
- On Test debut, teenager Ashton Agar breaks the Test record for highest individual score by a No.11 batsman, making 98.
- Agar’s aggregate score for the match was higher than any other Australian and second only to Ian Bell – who scored his second Ashes hundred for England.
- Agar and Phil Hughes break all-time record for 10th wicket partnerships, putting on 163 in the first innings.
- Australia became the third team to have partnerships over 50 for the 10th wicket in both innings of a Test. The other two occasions are both by Australia v England at Adelaide in 1895 and v England at Sydney in 1924.
- Their aggregate of 228 for the 10th wicket in the match is a Test record, beating the 189 (62 and 127) they had at Sydney in 1924. In 17 Tests since the start of 2012, Australia’s 10th wicket has added 686 runs at an average of 40.35.
- James Anderson was man-of-the-match with 10 wickets. He now has 49 from seven Tests at Trent Bridge.
