Sydney, Mar 19 (ANI): Australian captain Michael Clarke has said that he expected vice captain Shane Watson to lead the final Test in Delhi if he is not fit for the match due to a degenerative back injury that has flared up, following India taking a winning 3-0 series lead in Mohali.

Stating that he is not confident that he will be fit for Friday's Test, Clarke said that he expected his deputy to captain the side, although he said that he hopes that he will not miss the game as he has not missed a single Test match due to injury in his career, News.com.au reports.

Although the captain said that he has not spoken to the selectors about his decision, he stated that he is positive that Watson will be joining the team for the Delhi Test and added that all the players are looking forward to having the vice-captain back in the team.

Clarke was forced to drop from three to six in the batting order and was in obvious discomfort during his one-hour stay at the crease yesterday, the report added.

Meanwhile, Watson has admitted that he might have got a bit carried away while protesting against Cricket Australia's high-performance manager Pat Howard's criticism of his team spirit, saying that he was going through a lot at that time, although he said that he is pleased by how things have panned out.

Watson further said that he had some constructive conversations with Howard where they decided to move forward, leaving behind their disagreements behind and making sure that they are on the same page.

Brad Haddin stood in on day four for the captain, but is in line to lose his place with Matthew Wade recovering from an ankle sprain. Watson as vice-captain would be the obvious choice, but his inclusion in side will see further disruption, the report added. (ANI)