Arthur suggests Clarke bat No.3

6 Mar 2013, 5:17 pm   -   Source: AAP
(File: AAP)

(File: AAP)

Australia cricket coach Mickey Arthur is keen to see Michael Clarke not only go into the top four of the batting lineup but into the vital No.3 slot.

Greg Buckle

HYDERABAD, India, March 6 AAP - Australia captain Michael Clarke can bat in the top four against any side but in Indian conditions he may be best suited to the vital No.3 slot, coach Mickey Arthur says.

As selectors ponder changes for the third Test against India, beginning on March 14 at Mohali, Clarke has confirmed he'll move himself from No.5 into the top four.

Coach and selector Arthur says Clarke's sparkling footwork and skills against spin bowling on India's low-playing pitches mean there's no point waiting around until two wickets fall.

Clarke is Australia's leading batsman in the series with scores of 130, 31, 91 and 16.

However his lack of support in the first innings of the second Test - getting out for 91 going for a slog with eight wickets already down - convinced Arthur he must go up the order.

The argument against the move had been Clarke's performance in 2012 as the lead scorer from any nation in Tests for the calendar year.

But with Australia's top four of David Warner, Ed Cowan, Phil Hughes and Shane Watson all averaging under 30 in the first two lost Tests against India, something had to be done.

"The biggest concern is the inability of the top order to get a big first-innings score," Arthur told reporters on Wednesday.

Arthur says the retirement of reliable No.6 batsman Mike Hussey in January made it more difficult for the skipper to build a long innings at No.5 because he lacks support.

"He (Clarke) likes batting five," Arthur said.

"He's got a great record batting at five but when it starts impacting on our first innings and he starts running out of partners then we thought it was time for us to have a look at it.

"Michael has got to get up the order and I am pretty sure he will for the next Test match.

"I don't mind if he bats three in the subcontinent. I would like Michael four in conditions outside of the subcontinent."

Arthur slammed his side's cross-bat shots, including the sweeps that led to the wickets of Warner and Hughes at the start of Australia's second innings in Hyderabad.

"Our briefing that morning had been 'I hope you all noticed about how Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay went about their business'?," Arthur said.

"And then we lost two wickets to sweeps which did not please me at all.

"Until they learn the harsh lessons of getting out and possibly losing their place because of it, they're not going to realise it.

"(Reserve batsmen) Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith have got to come into the reckoning at some stage.

"When we have more of the same it will probably give us the same result."

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