HOBART, 22 December 2003 — Young batsman Michael Clarke, seeking a first Test call-up, hit an unbeaten 131 for Australia A in the three-day tour match against India which ended in a draw at Bellerive Oval yesterday.
Australia A resumed on their overnight score of 57 for three, leading by 123 runs overall. The tourists had been bowled out for 245 in reply to Australia A’s first innings total of 311 for five declared.
Captain Mike Hussey declared Australia A’s second innings closed at 241 for seven shortly before tea, setting India 308 to win in 41 overs. India opener Akash Chopra took more than an hour to get off the mark and was eventually out for 25 as India crawled to 66 for two off 33 overs before the game ended early. Clarke, who was later praised by India captain Saurav Ganguly, hit 12 fours in his 140-ball innings after resuming on his overnight score of 22.
The uncapped 22-year-old from New South Wales hit four sixes including one to reach his century from 123 balls.
All four of Clarke’s sixes came from the bowling of left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, who was flown out to Australia as a replacement for injured off break bowler Harbhajan Singh. Clarke will face competition from Darren Lehmann and Martin Love for the vacant middle order position of Test captain Waugh, who is retiring when the four-Test series against India ends in Sydney next month.
World’s Oldest Test Player MJ Gopalan Dies
Meanwhile, Morappakkam Gopalan, who had been the world’s oldest surviving Test cricketer, died in Madras yesterday.
Official records have Gopalan’s date of birth as June 6, 1909 making him 94 but he said in an interview two years ago his school had made a mistake and listed him as three years younger than his true age and the date had stuck. His family also said he was born in 1906, making him 97.
