John Polack

How could it happen

At its commencement, suspicions were high that match ten of the Carlton and United Series would effectively go a long way toward marking the end of India's campaign in international cricket in Australia this season

Over recent months, Australia's southernmost capital city has barely experienced a drop of rain; indeed, the past three years have brought some areas around Hobart their lowest amount of rainfall on record

In a tournament already loaded with low scoring matches, and in a season dominated by Australian wins, there came another contest at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today to reinforce the pattern

The emotion and drama of the first two matches of this Carlton and United Series had provided spectators and commentators alike with plenty about which to eulogise

It is true that one-day cricket frequently opens itself up to accusations of being too formulaic and predictable

To say that this was an unusual day in the life of Shoaib Akhtar and of Pakistan cricket in general would be a gross understatement

So remarkable is the ability of Australian teams these days that the task of successfully standing in the path between them and victory borders on the verge of impossibility

Capitalising upon the opportunities afforded them by a significant improvement in Melbourne's weather, it was two players at opposite ends of the Test cricketing spectrum who emerged as the stars on a magical day three of the Second Test between

Over recent seasons, inclement weather seems to have become more synonymous with the Boxing Day Test than the sense of theatre and excitement for which it has always been renowned

From the moment that Tasmania rested Ricky Ponting and India left out five key players of its own, it was probably inevitable that the tour match between the sides would not develop into one of the more attractive games of this Australian summer

Since the 1993/94 season, Australia has not lost a Test series at home and India not won one away

Other than for one session at its very outset, this first Test between Australia and India here at the Adelaide Oval has been characterised by the home team's indomitable capacity to wear down its opponent

A continuation of Shane Warne's fine individual form in the match, two controversial decisions by Umpire Daryl Harper, and some generally unremarkable batting from the tourists have all combined to consign India to a troubled state after the third

Hurdles keep confronting them and yet Australia's cricketers continue their eminently successful negotiation of most obstacles in their contemporary Test cricketing path

Spectacularly stern middle and late order batting resistance has been the defining feature of this summer of cricket for the home team and so it proved again today on the first day of the First Test between Australia and India here at the Adelaide

A fun, festival-style match this is supposed to be, but it is doubtful that India's cricketers will be leaving Canberra in anything even vaguely resembling a jovial mood after suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of the Prime Minister's XI at the

As expected, Queensland applied the finishing touches to a comfortable ten wicket win over India in the tour match between the teams at the 'Gabba in Brisbane on Monday

After they were permitted to witness something of an act of self-destruction through the middle stages of their opponents' innings, New South Wales' cricketers have ensured that the North Sydney Oval remains a bogey venue for Tasmania with a 21 run

Led by a century from man of the match Brad Hodge, Victoria has secured an eighteen run win over Canberra in today's Mercantile Mutual Cup match between the sides in Melbourne