Michael Clarke reveals leaked board email as motivation for scoring 329* vs India in 2012

Shortly after Michael Clarke became the ODI and Test skipper of Australia, the flamboyant right-hander faced a lack of form. This became so worrying for the Australian selectors that the selectors started considering dropping Michael Clarke if his woes continued. After getting to know this, the batsman smashed 329 not out in a Test match against India in Sydney in 2012, which is his highest Test score till this day. Clarke's 329 is also the fifth-highest individual Test score in the history of Australian cricket.

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Clarke 329 story revealed, Michael Clarke was set to be dropped

Talking on the Big Sports Breakfast show, the World Cup-winning Australian skipper went on to reveal a story from the initial days as Australia skipper. MS Dhoni's India was visiting Australia in 2012 and Australia were 1-0 up in the 4-match series. Coming to the second match at the SCG, Australian coach Mickey Arthur revealed to Michael Clarke that the selectors were concerned about his lack of form and the fact that his captaincy might be affecting him as a batsman. Arthur then told Clarke that a conversation about him being dropped might be needed if his form continued to dip.

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Clarke 329: Michael Clarke smashes highest Test score in SCG Test

Michael Clarke then revealed that getting this information made him motivated enough to produce that innings at the historic SCG. After winning the toss, MS Dhoni elected to bat first and India put 191 on the board. The Indian batsman mostly struggled and were only held together by MS Dhoni's 57*. Australia got to a slow start and lost their top order quickly but Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey displayed some gritty batting and took the match away from India.

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Ponting scored 134, Hussey scored 150*, and Michael Clarke scored a mammoth 329*. The Clarke 329 knock certainly deflated India and will be remembered as one of the finest knocks on the ground. Clarke never went on to realise that his score was just a few runs away from the Don Bradman's highest Test score of 334. Unconcerned about this fact, Clarke made the declaration for the Australian team at 659. India then collapsed for just 400 in their second innings and Australia ended up winning the match by an innings and 68 runs. Michael Clarke was the Player of the Match. 

Don Bradman and Mark Taylor held the record for the second-highest individual Test score in Australian cricket's history until November 2019 when David Warner smashed 335* against Pakistan. Matthew Hayden still holds the record for the highest-ever individual Test score at 380. He made that against Zimbabwe in 2003.

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