Adelaide, Australia: Michael Clarke wanted to forget the last Ashes test played in Adelaide. England captain Alastair Cook would prefer to forget the last Ashes test played in Australia.
Clarke declared himself fit and ready on Wednesday to lead an unchanged Australian lineup in the second test against England. It's the first time in 12 months he's had an unchanged lineup in back-to-back tests, and comes in the wake of the 381-run demolition of England in Brisbane -- Australia's first win in 10 tests.
"A nice position to be in," said Clarke, who missed a practice session this week to rest a sore right ankle but claims he's "100 percent" fit. "When the selectors hand you the same 11, it's a real positive for where the team is at and how we performed in Brisbane."
The Australians considered adding allrounder James Faulkner at the expense of No. 6 batsman George Bailey to increase their bowling options, but Clarke said Shane Watson had fully recovered from a hamstring strain that restricted him to two overs in Brisbane and should offer enough backup for the frontline seamers and spinner Nathan Lyon.
The defeat at the Gabba last month was England's first test loss in a year that included a series win in India and a 3-0 Ashes win at home against Australia, and it has had dramatic after-effects.
Jonathan Trott quit the tour due to a stress-related illness, leaving a yawning gap at No. 3 and forcing changes in personnel and in the batting order.
