Clarke scored ton with 'broken shoulder' in decisive third Test against Proteas

Australian captain Michael Clarke had reportedly played with a fractured shoulder while scoring a century in the decisive third Test against South Africa, which Australia won to score a 2-1 series victory.

Clarke weathered a barrage of bouncers on the first day of the Cape Town Test, being hit on his body and helmet in a fiery spell of short-pitched bowling by Morne Morkel and went on to make a pivotal 161 not out, hailed by many as the best knock of his career.

According to Sport24, the result of scans showed that Clarke played with a fractured left shoulder that has ruled him out of the domestic Sheffield Shield final this weekend, with team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris saying that the Test captain was injured as a result of being struck on the left shoulder and will need a period of rest to heal the injury.

The report however, mentioned that Clarke was cleared of any serious injury to his thumb, which was left bloodied and without the nail after being struck during another Morkel stint.

It was also revealed after the Test that the battering Clarke took prevented him from sleeping after day one and he went to stumps that day unbeaten on 92 and returned to complete a stoic innings of 161.

Australia is not due to play another Test series until they travel to the United Arab Emirates to face Pakistan in October, the report added.