Waugh's Australians thwarted at last

Australia's draw in the first Test against New Zealand on Monday was their first in 24 matches, ending a record sequence dating back more than two years.

Skipper Steve Waugh has revolutionised his team's approach since taking over from Mark Taylor in early 1999, always looking to win games rather than settling for safe draws, even at the risk of defeat.

Before Brisbane, they had not drawn since being held to a rain-affected stalemate in Colombo by Sri Lanka in September 1999, losing that series 1-0.

Waugh then led his team to 16 wins in a row, a world record and with most matches failing to reach the fifth or even fourth day, before going down 2-1 in a thrilling series in India in March of this year.

It took a brilliant 281 by Vangipurappu Laxman, the highest Test score by an Indian, to finally halt the Australians in Calcutta. That defeat was followed by another in Madras, with off-spinner Harbhajan Singh ending the series with 32 wickets at 17.03.

Waugh's ambitious approach was duplicated by stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist during the Ashes earlier this year. With Waugh injured, Gilchrist spurned a draw with a bold declaration in the fourth Test at Leeds which allowed England to narrowly avoid a 5-0 whitewash.

Again, it took another piece of individual brilliance by Mark Butcher, who made a Test-best 173 not out in a run-chase, to overturn the Australians.

BOLD DECLARATIONS

Monday's rain-affected draw in Brisbane, which almost ended in an unlikely New Zealand win, was again the product of bold declarations by both sides after the New Zealanders had only just escaped following on.

The longest previous streak of matches without a draw was 22, achieved by England between 1884-1892.

Australia's recent results:

1999:

Colombo, Sept 30-Oct 4: Drew with Sri Lanka (lost series 1-0)
Harare, Oct 14-17: Bt Zimbabwe by 10 wkts
Brisbane, Nov 5-9: Bt Pakistan by 10 wkts
Hobart, Nov 18-22: Bt Pakistan by 4 wkts
Perth, Nov 26-28: Bt Pakistan by inns and 20 runs
Adelaide, Dec 10-14: Bt India by 285 runs
Melbourne, Dec 26-30: Bt India by 180 runs

2000

Sydney, Jan 2-4: Bt India by inns and 141 runs
Auckland, March 11-15: Bt New Zealand by 62 runs
Wellington, March 24-27: Bt New Zealand by 6 wkts
Hamilton, March 31-Apr 3: Bt New Zealand by 6 wkts
Brisbane, Nov 23-25: Bt West Indies by inns and 126 runs
Perth, Dec 1-3: Bt West Indies by inns and 27 runs
Adelaide, Dec 15-19: Bt West Indies by 5 wkts
Melbourne, Dec 26-29: Bt West Indies by 352 runs

2001

Sydney, Jan 2-6: Bt West Indies by 6 wkts
Bombay, Feb 27-Mar 1: Bt India by 10 wkts (world record 16th win in a row)
Calcutta, Mar 11-15: Lost to India by 171 runs
Madras, Mar 18-22: Lost to India by 2 wkts
Birmingham, July 5-8: Bt England by inns and 118 runs
Lord's, July 19-22: Bt England by 8 wkts
Nottingham, Aug 2-4: Bt England by 7 wkts
Leeds, Aug 16-20: Lost to England by 6 wkts
Oval, Aug 23-27: Bt England by inns and 25 runs (20th win in 23 matches)
Brisbane, Nov 8-12: Drew with New Zealand

Mail Cricket Editor