Australia captain Michael Clarke said that he entertained hopes of victory as India set out to achieve their 133-run victory target in the third Test here yesterday.
The hosts lost four wickets (M Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar) before achieving victory. “We still believed that we could win the Test,” said Clarke.
Michael Clarke
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“We thought there were going to be opportunities to take wickets, knowing that India were going to have to score at a decent pace. In that first hour when we went out and bowled we could have taken as much time as possible, wasted time to slow the scoring and not bowl many overs because I knew once 3.30 (pm) came around, we had to bowl 15 overs in the last hour.”
Clarke added: “I think our players deserve a lot of credit for the way they tried their best. Our fast bowlers worked their absolute backsides off and we were very close to hanging on for a draw.”
Clarke said the start provided by Shikhar Dhawan (187) and Murali Vijay (153) was the key. The duo added 289 runs for the first wicket.u00a0“The start that Dhawan and Vijay gave was outstanding, and all credit to them.
“The way we came out and fought with the ball today is amazing, but once again the Indian batters showed us that once you get in, you have to score big,” he said.
Clarke hoped to finish on a high in the fourth and the final Test in Delhi starting on Friday.u00a0“We are disappointed, but hopefully we can finish on a high in
Delhi. “Over the past two years, we have been consistent at home, but not away from home,” he said.
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