The Surfer

Spinners may be India’s chief weapons against visiting cricket teams. But often, it is Delhi Belly that makes the first inroads into the opposition.

“It's great to see him in there - he's a player of the future and he's had an outstanding one-day series," Lehmann said. “The selectors have just got to give him a good long run at it now, give him time to settle in and improve his game at this level. Phil's just a real cricket tragic who loves the game and enjoys the challenge. His temperament is as good as gold, and he's a guy who plays the game the right way and is enjoyable to watch."

"He should go well,” Waugh said, “as long as he doesn't put too much pressure on himself. He seems a fairly intense sort of cricketer. I just hope he relaxes and plays his natural game, not worry about whether he'll get one game or two games.”

In his first over, Srinath bowled one batsman and had another caught at slip. Those early wickets brought to the crease a young, fresh-faced boy who had chosen to bat bare-headed. For close to two hours he played with complete assurance. Where his helmeted colleagues ducked and weaved against India's fastest bowler, this lad of 17 got solidly into line.

Much to the surprise of the Johannesburg crowd - and Australian team management - Martyn declared himself fit to play. And the rest, of course, is history. Martyn defied the jarring pain to record a defiant, unbeaten 88 and combine for a match-winning 234-run third wicket stand with Ricky Ponting

As the bus disgorged its load of weary travellers into the lobby of a ritzy Johannesburg hotel last Monday, one of the jet-lagged party was unable to suppress a delirious grin. Despite the ravages of a 15-hour journey from Australia which came on top of a relentless summer schedule of Test matches and one-day internationals, Andrew Symonds had returned to what he unashamedly refers to as his "happy place".