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Summer to remember

This was a most satisfying Test match victory, achieved slightly against the odds given the time lost to the weather and the fact that we lost the toss and had to bat first on a tricky wicket. Looking back now - as we reflect on our sixth straight win, our tremendous fielding and the fantastic debut of Brett Lee - in my view, it was probably our batting on that abbreviated first day that was the single most important factor in setting up the victory. We lost only two wickets that day and Michael Slater and Mark worked so hard, which gave us the chance to reach what was, on this MCG pitch, an imposing total of 405.

Of course, the major talking point of the match was the stirring performance of our newest comrade. Brett had one of those debuts you dream of, taking wickets and adjusting to Test cricket as if he'd been around for years. As captain, I couldn't help enjoying the discomfort of our opponents. Having a weapon of extreme pace at my disposal is wonderful, providing our attack with four contrasting but super-effective elements.

Mind you, there are currently a couple of blokes in our dressing room telling everyone within earshot that there are more than four frontline bowlers in the side. It's handy to have men such as Greg Blewett and Mark Waugh to turn to in situations such as today. In fact, Blewey's dismissal of Sourav Ganguly was critical, coming at a stage when the left-hander and his captain seemed to be settling in for a significant stay in the middle.

Important as this dismissal was, the key moment in the Indian second innings came, inevitably, with the fall of Tendulkar. In my view, spectators have already got more than their money's worth from the clashes between Shane and Sachin in this series.

Today, even though the little champion reached 52, the great leg-spinner eventually proved to be his master. I'll take two images of their battles here in Melbourne away with me. First, there was the astonishing six over the straightish long-off that Sachin hit in the first innings, which came after a long spell in which Shane had kept him pinned down, watchful and defensive. And then there was the brilliant top-spinner Shane produced from his bag of tricks today. It dipped in towards the stumps, Sachin misread the line and was gone, lbw.

As has been well documented, this result means we've completed six Test victories in a row. Two targets lie ahead: First, in Sydney, we want to win our sixth Test of the Australian summer, which has never been done before. Then, if we climb that mountain, we'll travel to New Zealand to try to match Warwick Armstrong's great Australian side of 1920-21, which won an Australian record eight consecutive Tests.

I'm proud of many aspects of our performances through the summer, not least the way in which the guys are adapting to the different situations we find ourselves in. Today, when we needed a breakthrough, Blewey stepped forward. Yesterday, when we needed quick runs, I could turn to Adam Gilchrist. At different stages, batsmen have blazed or battled, depending on the circumstances. Our bowlers have demonstrated how to keep things tight, take advantage of bowler-friendly conditions, and bowl to a plan. Our new coach, John Buchanan, with a Test record of five out of five so far, can take much credit for this.

Finally, I must mention the MCG ground staff. Despite all the interruptions, the rain, the trials and tribulations, they still produced a Test match wicket which offered batsmen and bowlers a chance to show their stuff. At times it wasn't easy, but it made for some competitive cricket. The wickets all summer have been magnificent, a real feature of what has been, for this Australian team, a summer to remember.

(Gameplan)

Steve Waugh