Anyone for cricket...?

I'm In.

AUSTRALIA V SRI LANKA 1ST TEST, THE GABBA, BRISBANE Starts today, 10am

AUSTRALIA Matthew Hayden Phil Jaques Ricky Ponting (c) Michael Clarke Michael Hussey Andrew Symonds Adam Gilchrist Brett Lee Mitchell Johnson Stuart Clark Stuart MacGill Ben Hilfenhaus (12th man)

SRI LANKA Sanath Jayasuriya Marvan Atapattu Michael Vandort Mahela Jayawardene (c) Thilan Samaraweera Chamara Silva Prasanna Jayawardene Chaminda Vaas Farveez Maharoof Muthiah Muralidaran Lasith Malinga Dilhara Fernando (12th man to be named today)

THE PITCH
The Gabba track is hard, well grassed and should offer good pace and carry. Given the recent rain and the humid conditions, the pitch may sweat a little under the covers and, with the heavy morning air, there may be something in it for the quicks. Expect it to offer little turn but some bounce for the spinners on days 1-3, and Murali may trouble Australia's righthanders out of Chaminda Vaas's rough on the final two days.

TODAY Showers Min: 17°c Max: 23°c

TOMORROW Showers easing Min: 17°c Max: 24°c

SATURDAY Mostly cloudy Min: 17°c Max: 25°c

SUNDAY Mostly sunny Min: 18°c Max: 25°c

MONDAY Increasing sunshine Min: 18°c Max: 27°c

HEAD TO HEAD
Played 18
Australia won 11
Lost 1
Drawn 6

QUEENSLAND quick Mitchell Johnson will make his Test debut at home at the Gabba after Australia settled on its first Test team to play Sri Lanka starting today.

Stuart Mcgill to route the Sri Lanken middle order.

redstripedownfrontoftrousermark

I'm here!

Glad they gave Stuart McGill a run.

The New Year Test in Sydney is Aus vs India. I went to the last Aus-India test. We arrived, and the scoreboard read India 7-705. Aarrggghhh! I took a photo of it. Was still a draw, though. Steve Waugh's last Sydney Test.

Hope that doesn't happen again!

Australia: 149/1 (42.1 Ovs)
Matthew Hayden c Muralitharan b Vaas 43 (63)

P Jaques*
61(136)

R Ponting
41(54)

Australia has found its way to lunch with little trouble following a rain-interrupted opening session in the first 3 mobile Test against Sri Lanka.

The teams managed just 46 minutes of play in the scheduled two-hour session at the Gabba before the Australian openers, after being put into bat by Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene, went into the break undefeated at 0-22.

Play was initially delayed by 15 minutes because of persistent overnight rain in Brisbane and was then interrupted for another hour following just one maiden over from veteran quick Chaminda Vaas.

Recalled NSW opener Phil Jaques (seven not out) faced 34 deliveries before scoring his first run when he flicked Muttiah Muralidaran into the leg side for a single just four minutes before lunch.

Muralidaran had time to bowl just one over while Farveez Maharoof, who the Sri Lankan selectors preferred to Lasith Malinga, found little movement against Australia's left-handed duo.

Matthew Hayden remained 15 not out at the interval.

Although the session finished in sunshine, more showers are forecast with play already extended to 6.00pm local time.

Tea will now be taken at 3.10pm.

cricket...cricket... that's the one that looks like baseball but takes even longer?

Go away! we're busy

Day 1: Tea Break
Australia: 161/1 (46.0 Overs)
P Jaques*
68(148)
R Ponting
46(65)

Sri Lanka
M Muralitharan
8-0-30-0
F Maharoof*
16-3-39-0
Run Rate : 3.50 Current Partnership: 92(142)

Last Wicket: Matthew Hayden c Muralitharan b Vaas 43(63) - 1/69 in 22.2 ov.

Overs left for the day: 39.5

A good session for Australia. They piled on the runs and lost just one wicket. Jaques has reached a fifty that might just be the crucial one for his career and Ponting has once again shown, why is he so reliable. Tea is being taken and fortunately the scenes are bright and sunny. We wll be back in 20 minutes hoping a full session of play.

busy? that is some skill...eating hot dogs and ice cream for seven hours straight.

And that only on day 1. This match will go for 4 days.

actually, that really IS some skill.

Aussie on top on the first day.

scores at stumps in an hours time.

Want to have some fun, dag? Ask them to explain the game. Then, ask them to explain parliament. Then start a discussion on which makes the most sense.

Yes. Don't sound so ignorant, Dag. You have been to India, haven't you?

Actually, the basics are same, but cricket is more elaborate, and of course, takes longer.

Shashi Tharoor has some thoughts on that.

Thanks so much for the analysis, Dadpad. I am actually looking forward to the test series, and to be honest, I am more interested in the series down under than the one being played out here.

Nice. Cricket can always do with a bit of glamor.

Stumps day 1

Aus 242/3
Hussey 28, Clarke* 5

Fading light stopped play
Phil Jaques got a ton then lifted his head and got out stumped.

It is stumps on Day 1 and the Aussies will be more than happy about what happened today. They will be satisfied with the performance of Jaques who is expected to fill in the vacuum of Langer. At the same time the Aussies will be pretty happy with the fact that they did not throw away early wickets in bowler-friendly conditions. As far as the Lankans are concerned, the only silver lining for them was Murali being among the wickets because the Lankans do well when Murali picks wickets in a heap. However, they certainly would have missed Malinga and will continue to do so in the course of the match. The plans for them tomorrow will be to pick up a few early wickets and push the Australians to the backfoot early on in the morning. Whether they are able to do so or the Aussies come out with more brilliance in the batting remains to be seen. Do join us tomorrow for the action from Day 2.

Thanks again, Dadpad.

The second ODI between India and Pakistan is about kick off.

A rumor has got around that Sehwag might be called in. I am aghast. Why oh why? I think Gambhir was a hero in the last match.

Spidy.
The pakis will be under the pump I think. India has a very very good one day side and played extremly well against Aust.