Right...The new season is upon us and the team for South Africa's tour of India will have to be selected. An eye towards Australia's tour of India later in October will also have to be kept.

There are a few stable spots, a few likely changes in the future depending upon the way the SA tour shapes up, and a few unsettled spots lingering.

Let's begin at the top - the opening slots.

India's Goal For The Upcoming Season - To win the next two test series which will propel them upwards towards their goal to be the best test nation.

Both South Africa and Australia present a consolotaion opportunity to win back the rubber which India might have liked to be retaining instead this year.

India does well with good starts as the Perth and Adelaide tests showed. That was also a contributor in England, and was never starker than versus Pakistan late last year and in the initial stages of the tour Down Under.  read more »

The first test between West Indies and Australia at Jamaica has been wonderful to watch/follow/catch the highlights package. A tantalizing final day's play is hopefully in store.

Australia started poorly, but recovered as Ponting made 150 while Hodge, Hussey and Symonds chipped in to help Australia get to 431. In reply, West Indies were rescued only because of Chanderpaul's super century, with some help from Morton and Bravo. Don't forget the immense contribution from Stuart MacGill (2nd best leggie in the world, and all that): 2/100 in 22 overs.  read more »

Sunil Gavaskar called it India's greatest win on TV yesterday. Plenty of other worthies have said things along similar lines.

Granted that the venue was Perth, an Australian citadel. Granted too that no Asian team has won before. And granted three that India's pace attack consisted of two 23 year olds and a 19 year old.

But, is this India's greatest win?

Was this win greater than Headingley 2002, Adelaide 2003, Rawalpindi 2004, Jo'burg 2006 or Calcutta 2001?

Calcutta halted an Australian juggernaut that had done something that no other cricket team in the world had come close to achieving. And after the capitulation at Mumbai and the follow on, did India even have a hope in hell to dream of a comeback?  read more »

It's the series everyone has been waiting for, India v Australia, me in particular as I'm desperate to see the Aussies challenged for a change. A world no.3 vs no.1 ('Tis a pity that the English, who need the weather gods to save them are at no 2) looks mouthwatering and its definitely India's best chance of pulling off something special. But after looking through the crystal ball I can see only one team winning this. Here's why...

Why Australia will win

India beat Australia by 72 runs in the Perth Test today. In doing so they have broken Australia's 16 Test match winning streak (for the second time). Australia have play 90 Test matches in this decade, and they have amassed a 68-11 record so far. Out of the 11 Test defeats, 5 have come in dead rubbers (after the series has already been decided). They have played 15 times against India, and have a 7-5 record. One of India's wins has come in a dead rubber (Mumbai 2004). The next best record against Australia is England's - 4-14.

As impressive as this is, it is only part of the story. India have scripted an epic at the WACA ground. A fast bouncy wicket (more on that in a moment), a genuinely quick Australian attack, Australia chasing a record 17th Test win, the dispiriting defeat at the SCG and the Harbhajan situation meant that when Anil Kumble walked out to participate in the toss, the overwhelming majority of cricket fans had probably written India off. For Australia, the 17th Test win seemed a formality. Adam Gilchrist had told the world to expect a sizzling day. The curator and knowing folk were telling us that this Perth pitch had been part of a newly relaid square and had the old fire. It looked very forbidding for everybody but the members of the Indian squad.  read more »

I watched Taare Zameen Par on Day 1 of the Perth Test, and i told my friend, that even a 2-2 Test match result by India would not be a superior experience to watching that film. After Perth, i remain steadfastly in the Taare Zameen Par corner, but i must admit that its getting more and more tenuous. One thing is certain, if India do win at Adelaide, it will be the greatest month of cumulative accomplishment ever for two of India's greatest pastimes - Films and Cricket.
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Dave Gregory The birth of Edward and Mary Gregorys third son in 1845 occurred at a time of considerable change for the colony of New South Wales. Sir George Gipps was nearing the end of his eight years as governor, with public criticism and opposition to his land and education policies leading to his replacement by Sir Charles FitzRoy. Australias main cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide were scattered ports that relied largely on sea-borne communication. There were no operative passenger railways and no telegraph system. Each of the colonies were keen to maintain its independence, it being clear that a British push for federation would fail.  read more »

I never congratulate Australia for winning, so it seems odd to do it for India. They beat Australia, which should be the aim of any team playing a test. They trained hard, the conditions helped, the injury to Hayden helped, and they out played Australia, this lead to a test win. In order for India to become a great test nation they should have expected to win this test. Not because their fans expected to, but because they put in the hard yards, are a talented group of players and because they should believe in themselves. India has the best record against Australia of any country over the last 15 years. and they were still 2 nil down against this new look, obviously more frail Australian side.  read more »

Preview Day One Day Two Day Three Day Four Day Five Bats and Balls Taken Home Fair Necessities Cross Dressing Three-Fer Monkey Magic Benefit of the Stoush Text! Balance of Tirade Smack Flip Born out of Fredlock Tit for Tandoori Done for Descent Reffing Useless!  read more »

Continuing our weekly series of essays on the men who made the Ashes, counting down the weeks before Cap'n KP takes on Ricky Ponting's Aussies (God help them). After Gary Pratt last week, this week's hero is Ken Barrington. Yes,...Patrick Kidd