Clarke urges Oz team to ‘make one last effort’ for big finish against Windies

Sydney - Australia captain Michael Clarke has asked his team to make one last effort to win the last Test against the West Indies in Dominica this week.

The third and the last Test will mark the end of the strenuous nine month schedule for the Australian captain and his team, which included tours of Sri Lanka, South Africa and the Caribbean, as well as home series against New Zealand and India.

Clarke who says ‘fatigue is no excuse’ wants his team to do all they can in the last Test match before next summer's home series against South Africa.

“I'm pretty sure all the boys will want to make this Test a good one for themselves personally and for the team because we've had a really good summer, we want to finish on a high,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Clarke, as saying.

Clarke pointed out that as 90 percent of the cricketers are going for the IPL so, “we have no excuse not to come out and play our best cricket once again in this Test match.”

“Your No.1 goal is to win every series you play, there's no doubt about that, that's what we plan to do in this third Test,” he added.

It is being expected that young left-arm quick Mitchell Starc will win the selection race ahead of Michael Beer, on what seems like a grassy pitch.

“With a bit more grass on the surface there's probably a chance we'll go in with three quicks in this game compared to last week," former skipper Ricky Ponting said, after the team's first look at the pitch in Roseau.