An Aussie fortress

Australia haven't lost a Test at Brisbane since November 1988, winning 11 out of their last 16

S Rajesh02-Nov-2005

Brian Lara has had a poor run here, averaging 22 from three Tests © Getty Images

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Since West Indies last toured Australia, in 2000-01, they have performed abysmally overseas, losing 19 out of 27 matches. Their most recent overseas losing streak stretches to seven Tests - the last Test of the series in South Africa, then four Tests in England and two in Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Australia's record at home during this period is as imposing as West Indies' is appalling, with 24 wins in 32 Tests.

The Test at the Gabba has traditionally been the first match of a series, and over the last 15 years it has been a particularly lucky venue for the Australians - since 1990-91, they have won 11 Tests and drawn five. The last team to beat them here were West Indies, way back in 1988-89. That team had in their ranks batsmen of the calibre of Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, and a pace attack which comprised Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Pattrick Patterson. Since then, though, Australia have beaten West Indies twice in three matches at this venue. (Click here for a full head-to-head between the two teams at this ground.) Overall, Australia have a 4-3 edge in Tests against the West Indians here.

The match by which this venue is best remembered, of course, happened 45 years ago, when Frank Worrell's side fought an epic battle against Richie Benaud's Australians in a game which produced the first tie in Test history. Since then, though, the matches between the two sides here have been rather more one-sided - in the last six Tests which have ended decisively, the margins of victory have been greater than 120 runs or eight wickets. And the last time they met was the most one-sided of them all, when Steve Waugh's team swamped the West Indians by an innings and 126 runs. For the extent of domination in that game, look no further than Glenn McGrath's bowling figures: 33-21-27-10. (Only Bert Ironmonger, an Australian left-arm spinner who played in the days of uncovered pitches, has taken a cheaper ten-for in Tests.) Two of those ten wickets were of Brian Lara's, who contributed a total of four runs in the match.

Thanks largely to that outstanding performance in 2000-01, McGrath's stats at the Gabba read an impressive 54 wickets from 11 Tests and an average of 22.53. Meanwhile, Shane Warne's numbers at this ground are even more impressive - 59 wickets from nine games at a shade over 20. However, he has only played against West Indies once here, in 1996-97, when his four wickets cost him 180.

Brisbane hasn't been a particularly happy hunting ground for Lara - in three matches here, he has only managed one half-century and a measly average of 22. His only innings of note at this venue came in his first Test, when he made 58. Shivnarine Chanderpaul has had more success here, averaging 58 in two Tests.

Among the current Australian batsmen, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist have enjoyed the conditions at Brisbane the most: Hayden has three hundreds from eight innings, while Gilchrist has been quite prolific too, averaging nearly 65. Ricky Ponting, though, hasn't had such a happy time here, scoring just one century in 14 innings.

Here's another stat which indicates just how dominant Australia's bowlers have been at Brisbane - out of five Tests since 2000, they have dismissed the opposition for less than 100 three times, and those scores are among the five lowest totals at this ground. (Click here for other stats on the venue, like highest totals, centuries, five-fors etc.)

Brisbane has traditionally been a good venue for fast bowling, but since 2000, they've only managed an average of 35.92, just marginally better than the spinners' rate of 36.97. However, the pace bowlers have taken three times the number of wickets the spinners have during this period - 101 to 33 - while all five five-fors have gone to them too.

S Rajesh is stats editor of Cricinfo

An Aussie fortress

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