Super Challenge for Gabba

The Gabba will showcase a bumper season of international cricket this summer with confirmation today that Brisbane will host a One Day International between Australia and India in September.

The Australian Cricket Board today announced the three-match Super Challenge Series between Australia and India would be held in September, with two matches indoors at Melbourne's Colonial Stadium and the third at the Gabba.

The two matches in Melbourne will be played on September 21 and 23 while the Gabba match, a day/night game, will be held on Wednesday, September 26.

Negotiations between Queensland Cricket and the Brisbane Lions have provided the Lions with the opportunity to train at the Gabba prior to any possible AFL Grand Final appearance.

Queensland Cricket Chief Executive Officer Graham Dixon today expressed gratitude to the Lions for their support in ensuring the match was played at the Gabba.

"We have met on several occasions with the Lions and the Brisbane Cricket Ground Trust about the feasibility of playing this match and have established a great deal of common ground on this and other issues regarding the use of the Gabba," he said.

"This level of co-operation has also allowed Queensland Cricket to recommend dates to the Australian Cricket Board that will enable the Lions to play Ansett Cup matches at the Gabba in February and March as well as provide for any cricket Finals at the ground."

"Thanks to the efficiency of the curator Kevin Mitchell Junior, we are very confident in the ground's ability to deal with these scenarios," Dixon said.

Australia's tour of India earlier this year generated record levels of interest and with the world champion Australian team fresh from its Ashes campaign, the return match-up of the two teams is set to create similar attention.

The announcement means that the Gabba will host the Australian limited overs team twice during the 2001-2002 season, with the traditional January one day weekend pitting Australia against arch-rivals South Africa as part of the VB tri series which will also feature New Zealand.

Master batsman Sachin Tendulkar and record-breaking VVS Laxman are expected to form part of the Indian contingent while Australian captain Steve Waugh said today that Australia would field the strongest team available.