Clarke’s ton puts Aussies in charge
Photo: Getty Images Michael Clarke cherishes every test century, and until the ongoing series decider is over he will leave it at that.
Clarke entered the clash in Cape Town without a score of substance from his past 11 innings, form the Australia captain was none too happy with.
The 32-year-old responded with one of the greatest innings of his life to be 161 not out at stumps on day two as Australia reached 494-7 at Newlands, mulling an overnight declaration due to heavy rain.
Clarke, still sore after being struck by multiple Morne Morkel bouncers on day one, made Newlands his most successful foreign test venue by adding to the 151 he scored there in 2011.
Clarke later referred to that knock as one of his most ‘‘irrelevant test hundreds’’ given the way his side were rolled for 47 in the second innings.
With the current series against world No 1 South Africa squared 1-1, his previous lack of runs on tour and Morkel causing so much harm – this shapes as arguably his most relevant test innings.
‘‘That’s probably a better question asked at the end of this game because if we don’t get the result we’re after then it will sit alongside the other 150 [scored at Newlands],’’ Clarke said yesterday.
‘‘I will never, ever take for granted scoring a hundred for Australia.
‘‘It’s obviously very satisfying to contribute in this series. I was overdue.’’
Clarke conceded Morkel’s spell on Sunday was the most punishing of his life.
‘‘I have been hit plenty of times through my career, maybe not so many times in one spell,’’ he said.
Clarke insisted in the lead-up to the third test that his lean trot was down to shot selection. So it proved.
A cautious approach combined with some fancy footwork and one of the best cover drives you will ever see helped him power past 150.
‘‘I have said through my whole career that when you are not scoring runs there will be criticism and rightly so,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s nice to have a result for that reason.’’