Clarke says his boys are ready to combat Oz cricket mire

Melbourne, Feb.6 (ANI): Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke says he and his young team will relish the challenge of fighting their way out of the mire that they are in now.

After the controversial decision to rest regular skipper Ricky Ponting, Clarke's two-game stint in charge against New Zealand has started today at the MCG.

Clarke needs to quickly restore confidence to a side on its longest losing streak in more than a decade. Sunday's loss to the Kiwis in Perth was Australia's fourth in succession.

Clarke said he enjoyed any opportunity to captain his country and, far from being downcast by the run of defeats, the inexperienced squad welcomed the challenge.

"We have been a little bit disappointing of late, and we've got some work to do to get back to where we want to go, " the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Clarke, as saying.

"My job is to try to support the boys as much as possible. We've got a pretty young squad, which I think is great. We are 1-0 down in this series, so that presents another opportunity for us to fight back. To me that's when Australia is always at their best, when we are down," he added.

Asked where the side needed to improve, Clarke said they needed to concentrate on the "one percenters". (ANI)