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Pup still confident in spite of his side's new underdog status

احدث اجدد واروع واجمل واشيك Pup still confident in spite of his side's new underdog status

Under siege ... Michael Clarke.

Under siege ... Michael Clarke. Photo: Getty Images

MICHAEL Clarke was on a hiding to nothing when he was asked to take over the Test captaincy from an injured Ricky Ponting last week. But in the wake of the heavy loss to a rampant England, Ponting's regular right-hand man says he is confident the trying experience will help him become a better cricketer and a better person.

It was a hectic week for the entire squad, as it sought ways to beat the in-form English and square the series in the final Test. But for Clarke, particularly, the brief was enormous. Not only did he have to find a pathway out of his own batting slump, but with Ponting suffering a broken finger, he also had to lead a beaten team in front of an expectant public. Clarke was laying low yesterday, catching his breath after the toughest week of his career. But he sent this text message to The Sun-Herald: ''It's been a hard week to put into words. At times I was honoured and proud. At other times disappointed and reflective. Mostly, the week was one of experiences which will hopefully make me a better cricketer and person.''

Clarke faced pressure from all angles. His alarming batting dip has provided ammunition to those who question his position as Australia's captain-in-waiting. He received an endorsement yesterday from former skipper Steve Waugh, who told The Sun Herald that, despite it appearing the Australians were exhausted and defeated, Clarke showed promise as a leader.

''It's hard to analyse Michael's performance because he was really up against it,'' Waugh said. ''But there were definitely some encouraging signs.''

Nevertheless, Waugh said, the team slipped back into a defeatist mentality.

''It just looked like Australia's batteries had been drained,'' he said. ''There was no real spark or life left in the team. They were almost going through the motions.''

Clarke wasn't going through the motions. There was too much to think about. He tried different approaches, for instance, opening the bowling with Mitchell Johnson rather than having the left-arm quick come on as a change. He made a surprisingly large number of bowling changes, trying to mix things up, keep England guessing. He wouldn't stand by and watch the side get run over. He also did his best to encourage and help NSW teammate Usman Khawaja through his Test debut.

''Pup's been awesome,'' Khawaja said of Clarke during the week. ''If there was any pressure on me, he's been taking it right off, just making me feel well at home. He sent me a text last night that said: 'It doesn't matter whether you get a golden duck or 400, it'll still be the best day of your life'. He's just been very good at making me feel comfortable and that's all I can ask for from a skipper on my debut.''

In the heat of the fire, Clarke remained composed. Only after one of his dismissals did he lose control of his emotions, letting out a yell of frustration. He scored four in the first innings and 41 in the second. Not enough in any Test for a No.4, especially when your opposition amasses 644 in one dig.

He faced a barrage of questions, traversing his own form and that of the side, whether he expects to be the future captain, the performance of selectors and anyone else people are pointing the finger at right now. He gave credit where it was due: ''No doubt England have outplayed us through this series, in all facets of the game. They've showed us discipline and execution with the ball, to make the batters play a false shot. With the bat they've showed us how to go on and get big scores once you get a start.''

Clarke was honest about where things are at but gave supporters hope. ''As players we feel disappointment right now, but we do see potential. We think we are better cricketers than what we have.'

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