Published: Aug 03, 2015, 08:30 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 03, 2015, 10:10 PM (IST)
A defeat inside three days at Edgbaston means Michael Clarke’s Australia face a task so monumental that has never happened more than once in the 133-year-old history of the Ashes. No team has ever won an Ashes series after losing two Tests, and Clarke needs to turn Bradmanesque in order to save his side from their fourth Ashes defeat in last 15 years on English soil — though, admittedly, all Australia need is to draw the series to retain the coveted urn. While it was heartening to see Clarke being brutally honest about himself after defeat in the third Test, it will require serious effort for him to turn around fortunes. Devarchit Varma says it is time for Clarke would benefit immensely if he seeks expert help to make things easier.
Cricketers have interesting perspectives to see and describe things. Someone like Alastair Cook uses mundane jargons and words while talking about cricket, whereas his Australian counterpart is far more aggressive with his choice of words. The phrases “kick in the backside” or “working off their backsides” have come out of Clarke’s mouth more than once, and even though he remains brutally honest about his cricket, at times he and his team fails to live up to them. ALSO READ: Michael Clarke’s captaincy in Ashes 2015 lacks flexibility
The defeat at Cardiff was certainly one of those ‘kicks’, but looking at the way The Ashes 2015 has panned out, it seems that it was not as hard an impact as Clarke meant it was. The Australians picked themselves up well in the second Test at Lord’s, but they hit new lows at Edgbaston, and now stare at possibly yet another defeat in England. ALSO READ: Ashes 2015: Michael Clarke’s lack of runs dangerous for Australia
Clarke has emerged as a huge worry for Australia, who have declared they will stand behind their captain despite all his recent shortcomings. It will give a lot of positivity to Clarke, who has looked a lost soul with the bat right from the first Test. But if his performance in the third Test is anything to go by, Clarke not only needs do to a lot of hard work in the nets, but also needs to be spoken to. ALSO READ: Ashes 2015 1st Test at Cardiff: Australia must learn to thrive on flat decks
A batsman losing form is part of his life cycle. But a cricketer losing his spunk is imperilling. The entire world knows how good Clarke is as a fielder, and the rare drop of Ian Bell at slip in England’s second innings was more than what the Australian skipper would describe as ‘unacceptable’. It showed Clarke is not in the right frame of mind as captain, and the right thoughts are not ideally going through his mind.
In the press meet after third Test, Clarke said finding a balance between cricket and taking his head away from it will be the key. While men like Clarke — among the most astute leaders who understand the game very well — will never lie about themselves, they also need expert help at times. Perhaps Shane Warne, who is in England doing commentary stints in The Ashes, can be of great help. Warne remains a great student of cricket and understands a cricketer’s psychology perfectly; he also happens to be Clarke’s ‘buddy’. ALSO READ: Ashes 2015: Nathan Lyon’s role in Australia’s bowling attack extremely critical
It will not be a bad idea for Clarke and Warne to meet over a few drinks and try to sort out things, lighten up the former’s mood, and make him focus on the last two Tests.
Australia and Clarke will not find a man better than Warne to sort things out for them, to fire them up, to help them rediscover whatever they have been missing.
If Australia lose, they will be just another touring party from Down Under that lost in England. But if Clarke loses, he would face serious questions over his captaincy and his future as Test cricketer. The Australian media already has its guns aimed at Clarke, and it will get very tough for him to hold on to his post. Clarke knows that winning the next two Tests will be easier than facing the entire world pitted against him: it is just about getting his act right, with the bat, as a captain and as a fielder.
(Devarchit Varma is a reporter with CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter @Devarchit)
