Michael Clarke has stressed that the dramatic axing of four players including the vice-captain Shane Watson for the third Test in Mohali was due to a continued failure of some players to meet the standards set by the team. Watson flew home after being told he and three other players would not be considered for the match and is considering his Test future, although his departure was also largely spurred by the fact that his wife Lee Furlong is due to give birth soon.

Watson, James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson and Usman Khawaja failed to comply with an order from the coach Mickey Arthur to provide feedback on where they and the team could improve after the embarrassing loss in Hyderabad. But Clarke said the decision, made by Arthur, Clarke and the team manager Gavin Dovey, was an example to players that no longer would they get away with cutting corners.

"No doubt it's been a tough day," Clarke said late on Monday. "I want the public and the media to understand, don't get me wrong, it's not just about one incident. Firstly on this tour our performances have been unacceptable and there has been some stuff off the field [that has been unacceptable] for the standards an Australian cricket team needs to present itself to achieve what we are trying to achieve ... I know it is a tough day, a really tough day and it's a tough decision, but at the end of the day if people are not hitting those standards there are going to be consequences.