Clarke shrugs off suggestions of easy campaign
Captain Michael Clarke dismissed suggestion that this month's Ashes campaign is proving easy, after Australia romped to a resounding 218-run win on day five of the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval.
Captain Michael Clarke dismissed suggestion that this month's Ashes campaign is proving easy, after Australia romped to a resounding 218-run win on day five of the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval.
Monday's result, coupled with a comprehensive 381-run victory inside four days at the Gabba in Brisbane, has afforded the hosts a crucial two-nil lead in the five-match series.
England, who triumphed three-nil in the United Kingdom earlier this year, have been considerably less competitive – capitulating to pace ace Mitchell Johnson and the remainder of the host attack on a consistent basis.
Johnson, after taking nine wickets in Brisbane, secured a second Man of the Match award in Adelaide on the back of a first-innings seven-wicket haul and eighth victim in the second.
"It's still the hardest game it the world. It's enjoyable, there's no doubt about it. The thing that's most pleasing is we're finally getting the results," enthused Clarke.
"In England, where we didn't get the success we wanted, guys were still working exceptionally hard and we all believed a result wasn't far away."
The Aussies, meanwhile, Australia have named an unchanged squad for the third Test, which will get underway at the Western Australia Cricket Ground in Perth on Friday.
The XI for the first two fixtures – and 12th man James Faulkner have been retained, while seamers Doug Bollinger and Nathan Coulter-Nile remain on standby.
Left-armer Bollinger has not played Test match cricket since December 2010, while right-armer Coulter-Nile has only played three Twenty20 Internationals and two ODIs.
Both have enjoyed an outstanding stretch of form in first-class competition this season, and will filter into the team if one or two of frontline seamers Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ryan Harris are rested.
"The NSP have selected the same squad of 12 for the Perth Test. Another player could be added to the squad during the week pending review of conditions in Perth," said national selector John Inverarity.
"Nathan Coulter-Nile and Doug Bollinger will be in Perth on standby and training with the squad for the Test match should they be required."
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