We're fully focussed, playing our best cricket: Clarke

Image
IANS Hobart
Last Updated : Mar 14 2015 | 10:32 PM IST

Australian skipper Michael Clarke on Saturday said his side was now fully focussed on the World Cup knockout matches, with all players mentally ready to go all out to win the big battles ahead.

"It is a real positive for us going into the quarter-final having another win. One little hiccup against New Zealand, that is in the front of our minds, and we make sure that no matter who we play against now we're fully focused and playing our best cricket," he said after his team finished second in Pool A.

The baggy greens would now move on to Adelaide Oval where they take on the winner of Sunday's Ireland-Pakistan match.

Having won five Pool games, with the only defeat coming against co-hosts new Zealand, Clarke said the team was now well placed for the last Eight round.

"Obviously it's a knockout stage now. Who we play against we're still unsure. We know we're playing in Adelaide and we know we've finished second in our draw. That's a positive.

"I would have liked to have not lost a game. But as you know, once you get to the quarter-finals, that's the most important part, getting there firstly and then having success in that first quarter-final," he said.

Clarke said the change in batting order against Scotland, which saw Shane Watson promoted to three and James Faulkner to four, was meant to give the guys sometime in the middle.

"I changed the order a little bit to give guys a hit and I am happy it clicked, but our main goal was to try to win the game. As we saw, with rain throughout the night, guys had to sacrifice themselves for the team to score as quickly as possible, especially at the end there," the 33-year-old said.

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 14 2015 | 10:22 PM IST

Next Story