The 1st Test
International - Australia v Sri Lanka at the Gabba

Australia won by an innings and 40 runs

A comprehensive victory by the Aussies, did anyone watch the game? It was disappointing to see such a small crowd at the Gabba

An update on the summer of cricket. The Aussies went on to win the 2nd test against Sri Lanka in Tasmania. The Aussies then won the 20/20 against New Zealand at the WACA. They then won 2 one day internationals against New Zealand one at the MCG and one at Adelaide Oval. The one at the SCG was rained out

The Aussies then convincingly won the first test against India at the MCG. The second test is underway at the SCG, has anyone been following the match?

Australia score sensational win

By Greg Buckle
January 06, 2008

INDIA captain Anil Kumble accused Australia of not playing in the "spirit of the game" after Ricky Ponting's side pulled off a miraculous win in the second Test with only minutes to spare.

In a tense match plagued by poor umpiring decisions against the touring team, India were set 333 to win from 72 overs at the SCG and were bowled out for 210 from 70.5 overs at 6.35pm, eight minutes before the scheduled end of play.

Man-of-the-match Andrew Symonds took 3-51 for Australia with his off-spinners, but it was his first-innings 162 not out, despite admitting later he should have been given out caught behind on 30, which upset the Indians.

Another among several contentious decisions was Rahul Dravid's dismissal caught behind for 38 off Symonds' bowling at 4-115, despite no apparent edge and a loud appeal from the Australians.

The tourists were also upset by Australian batsmen standing their ground after getting caught in slips and waiting for the umpire to give them out.

“Only one team was playing in the spirit of the game,” a fuming Kumble said, evoking memories of the similar comment by Australian batsman Bill Woodfull in the 1932-33 Bodyline series against England.

Adding to the tension between the two teams, Symonds was to appear at a hearing with ICC match referee Mike Procter after Australian captain Ricky Ponting accused Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh of racially abusing the Queenslander during the match.

Ponting was also furious after a reporter asked him why he claimed an ankle-height catch when Mahendra Singh Dhoni was batting. The appeal was turned down.

“You've got something wrong there. There's no way I grounded that ball,” Ponting said to the reporter.

“If you are actually questioning my integrity in the game then you shouldn't be standing here.

“I'm saying that I am 100 percent sure that I would have caught that catch off Dhoni today. As it turned out it was given not out anyway.

After scoring just one run in the match, left-arm spinner Michael Clarke earned the nickname “Golden Bollocks” from his captain by taking 3-5 off 1.5 overs.

Fast bowler Stuart Clark struck a double blow for Australia after lunch to dismiss first-innings century-makers VVS Laxman lbw for 20 and Sachin Tendulkar bowled for 12.

India's Sourav Ganguly (51) stood his ground as Australia celebrated a low catch by Clarke at second slip off Brett Lee's bowling. Mark Benson finally put his finger up so Ganguly slowly walked off, appearing to give the English umpire some advice on the way off at 6-137.

Dhoni (35) held on for two hours but fell lbw to Symonds.

Clarke claimed three wickets in five balls in the 71st of the scheduled 72 overs to clinch the victory, with Harbhajan (7) caught at slip by Mike Hussey and RP Singh lbw (0) before Ishant Sharma was caught at slip by a jubilant Hussey.

“For us to be able to do it after a 70-run (69-run) deficit in the first innings ... makes this win as good as any that I've played in,” Ponting said.

“That's as good a feeling as I've ever had I think on a cricket field. Winning a Test like that, coming down to the last eight or 10 minutes on the fifth day, any Test you win there is going to be pretty special.”

Ponting said he had no idea if the umpires, West Indian Steve Bucknor and England's Mark Benson, were losing confidence during the match.

India later announced they were seeking the pair's removal for the final two Tests in Perth and Adelaide.

“Sure they made a few mistakes but that's the game of cricket,” Ponting said.

“I'd like to think we can probably look at how great a game this was rather than just focusing on a few little areas like that one and the one (racism) that was mentioned earlier.”

Hussey hit an unbeaten 145, his third century in four home Tests this summer, before Australia declared at 7-401 shortly before lunch.

Australia's Matthew Hayden didn't field because of a right-thigh injury and Ponting admits the opener could be in doubt for the third Test in Perth on January 16.

Ponting's side have equalled the world record held by Steve Waugh's side which recorded a 16th consecutive Test victory in 2001.

Australia have also retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and lead 2-0 in the four-match series.

AAP

India hails great victory

INDIA hailed their team's win over Australia in the third Test in Perth, with former batting great Sunil Gavaskar dubbing the performance one of the greatest in the nation's Test history.

India, the last team to beat Australia on home turf in 2003, won by 72 runs to dash the home team's bid to break their own world record of 16 consecutive Test wins.

"To win over here, this has got to be without doubt the greatest win Indian cricket has had over the last 35-40 years," said Gavaskar, who was commentating on the match.

Australia, chasing 413 for victory, folded with over a day to spare. The victory was particularly sweet for the Indians as it was achieved barely a week after the second Test in Sydney ended in controversy.

Gavaskar rated the performance, India's fifth win on Australian soil, ahead of memorable 1-0 series victories in West Indies and England in 1971.

Fans gathered in small numbers in many Indian cities for impromptu street celebrations with many reaching teenaged paceman Ishant Sharma's New Delhi residence to congratulate his family.

Sharma provided the first breakthrough by removing Australia skipper Ricky Ponting in the morning session on the fourth day.

Another former skipper, Ajit Wadekar, told Reuters: "It is a really great win. Against the backdrop of what happened in Sydney, to come out of that and to play so positively is fantastic."

India had almost pulled out of the series after their defeat in Sydney.

The second Test was marred by many umpiring errors and the Indians were further angered when a three-Test ban was imposed on spinner Harbhajan Singh for his alleged racial abuse of all rounder Andrew Symonds.

Harbhajan has appealed against the decision.

Wadekar praised Kumble's gamble to bat first on a pitch expected to favour fast bowling and his inspired move to introduce occasional off-spinner Virender Sehwag after lunch on Saturday.

Sehwag bowled the dangerous Adam Gilchrist round his legs in his first over as he picked two quick wickets to firmly turn the game India's way.

"We showed so much positive attitude," Wadekar said. "Kumble showed tremendous controlled aggression.

"Every session was almost ours," he said. "This has restored the confidence of the players."

Reuters