Thaindian News

Adelaide, Jan 25 (IANS) Australian captain Michael Clarke said Wednesday that his team will not let Sachin Tendulkar score his elusive 100th ton in the fourth Test though he thinks the flat track at the Adelaide Ovel will make it difficult to pick up 20 Indian wickets.

Clarke acknowledged the good batting conditions but said Australia would continue to be relentless in its approach.

“No I certainly won’t be showing him any sympathy (to Tendulkar),” Clarke told reporters here.

India, chasing Australia’s first innings score of 604, ended day two at 61 for two with Tendulkar batting on 12. The wicket here at the Adelaide Oval is the closest to what one gets in the sub-continent, giving Tendulkar a great opportunity to get the monkey off his back.

“We are there to win the game. He is a wonderful player, and he is going to be really tough to get out on that wicket. Somehow, we are going to have to find a way to do it twice and also take 20 wickets.”

Clarke, who scored his second double hundred of the series in the first innings and was part of a record 386-run partnership with Ricky Ponting, reckoned the pitch will be conducive for spinners from day four onwards.

“Hopefully, we will see some deterioration especially in the back half of day four and day five - tomorrow it is going to be pretty nice to bat on,” Clarke said.

“A couple of balls stayed a little bit low, but it is as good a batting wicket as you are going to get. The bowlers are going to have to bowl well and we are going to have to hang onto every chance in the field.”

Clarke and Ponting’s fourth wicket stand was the highest for any wicket in India-Australia Test and also at the ground here. The duo shared 288 runs in the Sydney game where Clarke struck a marathon 329.

The skipper said he always looks forward to batting with his predecessor.

“It is always nice to see us both scoring runs when we bat together,” Clarke said.

“We have known each other for a long time, played a lot of cricket together. It is nice to spend some time in the middle. Both of us were disappointed with our series last summer (Ashes loss) and we have worked hard on our games to improve.

“We know each other’s games quite well so we can certainly communicate to what we are seeing. We speak a lot when we bat about what the other person has seen, to get help and advice and to keep both of us going and this innings was no different,” he said.