Another back injury has forced Michael Clarke to retire from Australia’s opening innings at the first Test against India in Adelaide.
Clarke sustained the injury while twisting to avoid a bouncer with the Aussies at 2-238 in the 43rd over, sinking to his knees at the crease before receiving on-field treatment from team doctor Peter Brukner and physio Alex Kountouris.
The 33-year-old raced out to a score of 60 in 84 minutes, pairing with opener David Warner, who smashed 145 from just 163 deliveries, as the pair helped propel Australia to a strong start in an emotional tribute to passed teammate Phillip Hughes.
An underdone Clarke was declared fit for the first Test after struggling with recent hamstring issues and came into the Adelaide Test without any match practice. Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland told ABC Radio shortly after the injury that Clarke’s fitness had become a secondary concern following Hughes’ death.
“Everyone was working together with the same thing in mind to try to get Michael recovered and fit and ready to play,” Sutherland said. “There may well have been some slightly different views about what was best in terms of preparation, but really that’s all a moot point now.
“Things have moved on, we’ve seen the extraordinary and tragic circumstances of Phillip’s death and we hope Michael’s okay and he’s back on the ground very soon. It’s always a worrying sign when the Australian captain’s carrying any sort of injury. We’ll leave it in the capable hands of Alex Kountouris and he can weave a bit of magic overnight perhaps.”
The 107-match Test veteran has a long history with back pain, starting at age 17 when he was diagnosed with degenerative back condition.
“I had my first scan at 17 that said I had degeneration in my disc,” Clarke said last year.
“I have been able to manage it this long, I don’t see any reason why I can’t continue to manage it for the rest of my career.
“It’s a combination of things, my back gets irritated when I’m in flexion and I rotate.
“Sometimes with degeneration of the disc, it can flare up.”
Photo: Scott Barbour/Getty Images.
