Look back on Clarke's career

When Michael Clarke walks off The Oval for the final time in his Test career, he will exit the game as one of the game’s batting titans of the new millennium.

Clarke announced his retirement from Test cricket following Australia’s innings and 78-run loss to England at Trent Bridge, surrendering the Ashes for the fourth straight time on English soil.

While the 34-year-old’s final Test series had been statistically one of his worst, his brilliant career has been about much more than pure numbers from the time he first donned the Baggy Green more than a decade ago.

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Clarke celebrates his century on Test debut against India // Getty

The blond-tipped dasher from Sydney’s western suburbs wasted no time announcing himself to the world with a maiden Test hundred on debut against India in Bangalore in 2004, helping Australia end a 35-year winless drought on the subcontinent to take the series 2-1 in sensational fashion.

Clarke then blazed a century in his first match on home soil, going blow for blow with Australia’s ultimate entertainer Adam Gilchrist against New Zealand at the Gabba. 

Off the back of his impressive Test returns and performances in Australia’s one-day international outfit, Clarke was a shock winner of his first Allan Border Medal, edging out Damian Martyn and future coach Darren Lehmann for the award.

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Clarke celebrates with Adam Gilchrist after a century against New Zealand // Getty

But just as Clarke reached the first of many elevated checkpoints in a career spanning 114 Tests to date, 2005 was a cruel year for the man nicknamed Pup by his senior teammates; he averaged 28 in 12 Tests as Australia lost the Ashes for the first time since 1987.

The right-hander was axed for the first and only time in his career following a poor series against the West Indies at home later that year, told to return to Sheffield Shield cricket with NSW Blues and fight his way back into Australia’s powerful batting line-up.

And return he did, recording two hundreds against England in Australia’s 5-0 Ashes whitewash in 2006-07 as legends Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer left the game at series end.

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Clarke in full flight during Australia's 2006-07 Ashes whitewash // Getty

Clarke’s underrated left-arm orthodox spin snatched victory against India in January 2008 at the SCG, snaring three wickets in the penultimate over the final day to extend Australia’s winning streak to a record-equalling 16 matches.

Cemented in the middle-order at his favourite No.5 position, Clarke scored a century in seven consecutive series from 2006-2009, missing out in South Africa as the visitors bounced back to claim the series after their first home series loss since 1992-93.

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Clarke took three quick wickets to secure a famous win at the SCG // Getty

Another Ashes loss in England that year was compounded 18-months later when Andrew Strauss’s men won Down Under in a series where Clarke failed to reach triple-figures.

But in the fifth and final Test of the 2010-11 Ashes at his SCG home ground, Clarke replaced an injured Ricky Ponting to become the 43rd Test captain of Australia and begin the final chapter of his career.

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Captain Clarke wearing the skipper's blazer on the SCG // Getty

The captaincy sat well with stylish stroke-maker, notching six centuries in his first 12 months at the helm including a near flawless 151 against the Proteas in Cape Town – the knock Clarke himself regards as his best – and his highest score of 329 not out against India at the same venue he took the reins a year earlier.

Clarke’s prolific form with the bat continued throughout 2012, plundering four scores of 200 or more in 1,595 runs, the fourth most in a calendar year in the history of the game.

Three more Allan Border Medals in 2009, 2012 and 2013 stamped his ticket to the Hall of Fame once he decided to call it a day, along with inventive and instinctive captaincy that saw him regarded as the game’s leading tactician.

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Clarke poses with the Allan Border Medal // Getty

The hurt of a third straight Ashes defeat in 2013 was erased six months later when Clarke led his men to the second whitewash against the Old Enemy in seven years to regain the urn in emphatic fashion.

While his effort in Cape Town in 2011 was all class, his innings at the same venue three years later was full of courage as he braved South Africa’s ruthless pace attack of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander. The Proteas targeted the Australia captain with the short ball but were denied as Clarke scored an unbeaten and series-winning 161.

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Clarke celebrates a brave and stirring century against South Africa // Getty

But just as Australia reached the summit of the Test team rankings, Clarke’s back and hamstring issues returned. He continued to battle injury throughout 2014 before the tragic loss of close friend and teammate Phillip Hughes in November of that year.

Clarke’s most recent Test century - and unless he can end his run of low scores with a ton at The Oval, his last - was his most emotional. He scored 128 against India at Adelaide just weeks after Hughes’s passing before succumbing to another hamstring injury and missing the remainder of the series.

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Clarke walks past the number 408 after a century in Adelaide // Getty

While his efforts on the training park and in the nets never wilted, his form in the middle faded in the twilight of his career, with his last hurrah in England proving a bridge too far.

The man who presented Clarke with his Baggy Green in 2004 and went on to become one of his closest friends says the record-breaking batsman will go down as one of Australia’s greats of the game.

“Hopefully he gets the opportunity at The Oval to go out make some runs," Shane Warne told cricket.com.au after play in Nottingham.

Warne and McGrath honour Michael Clarke

"Or go out in his own way and enjoy that time and enjoy the atmosphere, everyone clapping and cheering and saying thank you for a wonderful career.

"It has been, and I think we have to think back to all the wonderful things Michael has done.

"It hasn’t worked out this series but just think back to the last two years; beating South Africa, 5-0 (against England) in Australia, winning the World Cup.

"And a lot of the players, the Steve Smiths, the Mitchell Johnson, the David Warners and company who we’ve all loved watching have all come under Michael’s leadership.

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The Australians celebrate their 2013-14 Ashes whitewash // Getty

"He’s helped them, he’s taught them, and hopefully they’ll go and carry on the same way he liked to play.

"He’s had a wonderful career.

"He’ll go down as one of the great batsmen Australia’s ever had. And one of the best captains Australia’s ever had too."

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