Clarke stresses importance of all-round performances – Cricket News Update
With modern day cricket demanding all-round performances from players, especially in the One Day International and Twenty20 formats, Australian skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MJ-Clarke-c1978 believes that the 5-day format is also moving in the same direction, with players having
to prove their worth using both bat and ball.
“I reckon you need to have at least two strings to your bow to be part of this set-up at the moment, the way the game's going, the way international cricket is. I guess we've said that for a long time in one-day cricket and then Twenty20 cricket, and now
Test cricket is the same,” opined the incumbent Aussie skipper.
Batting and bowling all-rounders have become an indispensible part of the game, with the most successful teams boasting batting orders going deep and bowling options aplenty. The Aussies, who are currently engaged in a 3-match Test series in their tour to
the Caribbean, won the first 5-day game with 3 wickets, courtesy excellent performances put in by the lower order in the first innings.
After the Windies declared on 449, the Aussies were able to reach 406, with skipper Clarke being the highest contributor (73), nicely supported by bowlers http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nathan-Michael-Lyon-c78822 (40), as the three added a cumulative 132 runs
to the total, despite being tail-enders.
Praising his contingent for an all-round display, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 explained that he expected his batsmen to bowl and his bowlers to bat for the team’s cause.
“I see overs from a lot of the batters as important as the overs you get out of your frontline quicks. Hence the other side of the coin, the runs our tail make are as important as the ones the top order make.”
The Aussies, who were considered favorites on their tour to the Caribbean, were frustrated by the fight put up by the Windies, as they failed to win either the One Day International or the Twenty20 series, both of which ended in draws.
However, the visitors from Down Under, who sought to make amends in the ongoing Test competition, have already won the 1st match and batting first in the 2nd, stood at 208/5 at stumps on Day 1.
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