Taylor praises Clarke for putting team's interest ahead

Sydney cricket ground goes pinker than ever for McGrath Foundation

Sydney: Former Australia skipper Mark Taylor heaped praise on current captain Michael Clarke for putting the team's interest ahead of his personal ambition by deciding not to chase the world record individual score in the second Test against India on Thursday.

"He's a guy who loves the game of cricket and I don't think people have quite understood that with Michael. He had an opportunity to make the world Test record today, there's no doubt about that. He needed another 72 to break the record. He could've done that and still had two days to bowl India out and win this Test match.

"He could've achieved both goals but what he wanted to say is 'yes, I want to do well myself, every player does and that's human nature, but I want to captain a side that's going to win first'," Taylor was quoted as saying by 'Australian Associated Press'.

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Clarke's declaration at 659/4 with his own score 329 not out drew comparisons with Taylor, who declared in Pakistan in 1998 with his own score on 334 as he refused to go past Sir Donald Bradman's personal best.

Taylor said Clarke showed how much he values his job as Australian skipper by declaring the first innings when he could have fancied his chances to go past Matthew Hayden's record 380 or Brian Lara's world mark of 400 not out.

"A lot of people focused on the negatives of Michael Clarke, but now he is the main man, I think we're starting to see the real Michael Clarke," he said.