If our biggest game of the summer doesn’t excite you as a player you are in the wrong place
THE third Test against South Africa shapes as one of the biggest Tests of my decade-long career, writes Michael Clarke.
TEST cricket does not get any better than this.
The third Test against South Africa, beginning in Cape Town tomorrow, shapes as one of the biggest Tests of my decade-long career.
We all know the Ashes is special and to beat England 5-0 was amazing.
But to be lining up for the deciding Test of a delicately balanced series against the top-ranked team in their own back yard is as exciting as this game gets.
It is a wonderful opportunity for us to finish the summer on a high.
I’m so proud of what the guys have achieved over the last few months and hope we can continue that at Newlands.
South Africa proved what a great team they are by coming back hard in Port Elizabeth but it was only a week earlier that we had a strong victory at Centurion Park, so we know that if we play our best cricket we can beat them.
It’s been attacking, high-quality cricket from two very competitive teams that has seen both Tests finish in four days.
The intensity of the cricket against South Africa has never been any different.
The last time we came here two and a half years ago the series was tied at one-all after two remarkable Tests but sadly there was no decider.
This time there is and we can’t wait.
Exactly what conditions we will face in Cape Town remain a bit of a mystery. Traditionally it has helped seam bowlers, but with South Africa comfortably winning in Port Elizabeth on a dry, grassless wicket I’m not quite sure what to expect.
There was such a contrast between what we faced in Centurion Park during the first Test and more recently in Port Elizabeth that predicting how a pitch will play can be fraught with danger, particularly during the days leading into the Test.
The Port Elizabeth pitch had a lot of patchy, tufty grass on it until midway through the day before the match, when it was shaved off.
Centurion Park proved to be a dangerous pitch that was up and down and helped raw pace.
The bottom line is that the conditions are the same for both sides.
Adapting to a variety of surfaces on away tours is one of the most important aspects of being a successful international player and team.
We adapted well at Centurion Park but failed to do the same in Port Elizabeth.
How we handle the Newlands pitch will have a major bearing on whether or not we win the series.
One of the most pleasing things for me is that we have a fully fit squad to choose from after a few hiccups earlier in the tour, meaning we have a variety of options for whatever conditions are presented.
There has been some discussion about my lean trot.
As captain and the team’s most senior batsman it is up to me to lead the way. I haven’t done that recently, but there is no better time than this Test to lead from the front given what is at stake.
I’ve been working hard and doing extra training sessions to be sure I’m as ready as I can be for this Test.
I am excited for the team that we have put ourselves in a position to win this series.
In my opinion, this is our biggest game of the summer.
If this does not excite you as a player you are in the wrong place.
The third Test can’t start soon enough.
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