Clean sweep to Australia:T4D5

Australia 7/604 dec & 5/167 dec def India 272 & 201 (69,4 ov, Sehwag 62, Lyon 4/63, Harris 3/41) by 298 runs: T4D5 at Adelaide Oval. Australia, having regained Border-Gavaskar Trophy,  win series 4-0

With the writing plainly on the wall after India's second innings collapse yesterday, it would have surprised few (though a very good crowd  - 10,000+ in my estimation - took advantage of the free admission)  that it only took an hour for Australia to complete a commanding victory and secure a 4-0 clean sweep.

The temperature was, as it had been on the preceding four days, well into the 30s when Nathan Lyon took the last wicket, giving each of the four main bowlers a wicket apiece today, a reflection of their potency as individuals and of their ability to work in concert for the team's good. While Lyon finished with 4/63 and Ryan Harris 3/41 it was Peter Siddle who was made Player of the Match for his first innings 5/49 ahead of the double century makers Michael Clarke, who was named Player of the Series, and Ricky Ponting.

This is a good Australian team, but one which still has some areas of weakness or room for improvement. As for India, I was surprised at how uncompetitive they were. The close contests i was expecting didn't eventuate. India had their moments but they were only moments compared to Australia's long periods of sustained supremacy. I hope that because of this and other recent Test drubbings India doesn't make a strategic withdrawal from Test cricket. More of this later.

As I write  the heavens have opened, as they did after last summer's Ashes Test. I must open the house to try to cool it down and return to the couch to see if England can complete a win over Pakistan in the UAE and level the three Test series.



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