Clarke was astounded when he learnt that India had dropped Gambhir

Australia captain Michael Clarke has admitted that he was shocked by India’s decision to omit opening batsman Gautam Gambhir for the ongoing four-Test series, stating that his absence has taken some of the strain off his bowlers.

Clarke noted that India would soon start to miss the left-hander and it would only be a matter of time before he regains his form and spot in the Test roster.

“I expected him (Gambhir) to be in the Test team,” Clarke said. “He is a wonderful player and has played for India for a long time now. I think there are a few bowlers in our team who are happy he is not playing.

“He is a wonderful guy and I really like him and I get along really well with him. If he scores runs, I’m sure he will get his chance with the Indian team again.”

Australia have tried to use their sledging tactics against India throughout this series, but Clarke believes the game revolves around on-field performances and making an impact with the bat or ball and in the field as well.

“It’s not about what you say,” Clarke said. “It’s about what you do. As a player, as the Australian cricket team, that’s our goal. It’s no good making statements and comments and not backing them up. I’d rather want people to say less and do more, so that’s our goal. Perform well on the field, that’s all we want.”

Even though Clarke was branded as the top Test batsman coming into the India series, he stated that “reputation is irrelevant”.

“Reputation is irrelevant, to be honest, especially when it’s my reputation,” Clarke added. “I start on zero like everybody else. My last tour to India wasn’t anywhere near as successful as I would have liked. I really enjoy the challenge of facing spin but it still gets me out, like it does every player.

“I’ll tick every box off the field in terms of preparation and training and then I will go in and enjoy myself.”

The Australian captain also refused to say what his sides weaknesses have been throughout the series.

“[The] Australian team has no weaknesses at all,” he said chuckling. “I don’t think it will be right for me to sit here and tell you what the Australian team’s strengths and weaknesses are and I don’t think it will be fair to give you the Indian team’s strengths and weaknesses either.

“We have to be really focused just on us and on the areas we need to get better at and not worry too much about our opposition.”

However, he did admit that the current side lacked the experience of the team he toured with last time.

“When you look at the team now compared to when I first came in, we had so many experienced players, so many great players; probably seven or eight players in the team when I made my debut were as good as any seven or eight players in the world,” Clarke said. “We are a lot less experienced now.

“Yes, every one of us has the same goals, the same commitment, the same work ethic. We know that to be successful, we need to perform well as a team. It’s not about individuals making a hundred or a two hundred or taking five wickets. That’s not going to give us the success we want over a long period.”

Clarke also took some time to reminisce about his career, from the time he was an arrogant youngster to captaining the country today.

“I guess – some good times, when the team has had a lot of success and I have scored some runs, and some tough times, when I have been dropped from the Test team and I didn’t know if I was going to get back into the team,” Clarke said. “Now the positive is that the team is playing well and I am able to captain Australia.

“So there have been plenty of ups and downs through my career – some moments that I will cherish forever and some moments in my career that have made me the player I am today. When I was dropped from the Australian Test team, without going through what I went through at the time, I don’t think I would be the player that I am today.”

The Australian captain has also taken on the burden of being a mentor to many of the youngsters that have been included in the squad.

“Being a senior player, not just the captain, it is part of your responsibility,” he said. “As you get older, as you play more cricket, the responsibility is on some of us who have played a lot of Test cricket to stand up and lead from the front, make sure the youngsters are taken along.

“I was lucky when I came into the Australian team that there were so many senior players around to answer the questions I wanted to ask and help me with advice and keep my feet on the ground. Now I am a little bit older and a little big greyer, so it’s part of my job to make sure I do the same to the young guys coming in.”

When asked about his thoughts towards the fact that the Decision Review System (DRS) had not been implemented throughout the series, Clarke said: “To me, it’s about consistency. It’s the same for both teams in this four-Test series. Here in India, if we use it, great, if we don’t use it, great; It doesn’t matter to me as captain of the Australian team. It doesn’t bother any of the Australian players.”