Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke has dismissed claims that their more-than-a-decade dominance in world cricket is facing serious threat from India.
India, who showed last summer they were prepared to stand toe-to-toe with the Australians on and off the field, have won two of the past four Tests against them since an acrimonious encounter in Sydney in January, and drawn the others.
But Clarke said the Mohali loss was not a sign that India, already a financial power in world cricket, had changed the balance of power on the field as well.
“I would disagree with that. It is not the first Test match I have lost, and I guarantee it won’t be the last,” Clarke was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald. “But I know our mindset will be exactly the same as it was at the start of this game. We are going into the third Test in Delhi to win it.”
“We want to win every game we play. We are going to do everything in our power to make sure we win the third Test. But we need to control the little things first.”
Clarke said India’s approach and willingness to take on the Australians verbally did not affect the visitors.
Clarke and Gautam Gambhir had an extended exchange during the Australian second innings, and pace bowler Zaheer Khan gave a verbal send-off to Matthew Hayden after he fell to Harbhajan Singh.
“I don’t even know if he knows exactly what was said by Zaheer Khan when he got out, but it was some form of send-off,” Clarke said.
“Honestly, that sort of stuff doesn’t really bother me.”