The Ashes 2013: Michael Clarke backed David Warner's decision to review

David Warner asks for DRS to adjudge his dismissal in third Test

Australia captain Michael Clarke has backed Warner’s assessment to review his dismissal in the third Test at Old Trafford.

Warner was caught at first slip by Jonathan Trott off Graeme Swann. The Australian felt that the bat hit his pad and so, he decided to review the decision.

“My reaction was, yes, I thought Davey (Warner) hit it,” Clarke said. “But in fairness to Davey, if you have a look at the replay, he actually hit his pad at the same time so he obviously didn’t feel the ball hit the bat. We had a little discussion in the middle.

“Let’s just say we disagreed, but in saying that, I did say to Davey that I would back his judgement 100%. He was confident he didn’t hit it so it was worth a look and I’ve said before I think that’s the way DRS should be used. I think if the batter feels that he didn’t hit the ball then his partner should back his judgement,” the Australian captain said.

He was finally given out by the third umpire and Australia lost all the reviews. However, that did not affect them as Australia piled up a mammoth 527 runs in the first innings, riding on Clarke’s splendid 187.

It was also Clarke’s first century at number four, but he was unsure if he would remain in the same position in the batting order.

“I got a hundred at No. 4, what a miracle,” Clarke joked after play. “I don’t know, we’ll assess in the second innings let alone the next Test match. The number doesn’t bother me. I’ve been saying it for a while. It’s nice though to finally have a hundred batting at No. 4 but I’m not sure.

He further added: “I didn’t feel that great yesterday or today at the crease. I felt there was enough in the wicket – I played and missed a hell of a lot and had a fair bit of luck. Don’t get me wrong, I love the result. It’s better than getting zero, that’s for sure but I think I’ll be able to assess it more if we win the Test match.”

Clarke’s 187 has given Australia a sense of hope in the third Test, and it’s the bowlers who need to ensure that captain’s innings does not go in vain.

Australia grabbed two wickets at the close of play on Day 2, but still they have significant task on hand as England have quality batsmen in the middle order.

“It’s not the type of wicket you can force too hard,” he said. “You have to build up pressure. The bowlers will have to be exceptionally consistent like they were this afternoon. It is going to take a lot of time to bowl England out. Our bowlers have the discipline. I was pleased with the way Nathan Lyon started today. There was a bit of spin but more importantly there was some bounce there for him as well. He will play a big part in both innings.

“The team should be extremely proud of the position we are in. We copped a bit of criticism after not making enough runs in the first two Test matches and rightly so. The way everybody did their job in the first innings is a credit to all the boys. We have worked exceptionally hard in the lead up to this Test match and it was nice to get the result. There is still a lot of work to do,” he concluded.