400...Australia..South Africa & Perth

Well..the number 400 however doesn't seem to go well with the Australian cricket team what so ever. This is even more true when it comes to playing South Africa I guess. This was proved once again on Sunday, when South Africa once again defeated Australia by 6 wickets in the first test between the two teams in Perth. Before this match, the way the South African team chased down a mammoth total of 434 some two plus years against Australia is still in the memories of all cricket loving people. And, how could one ever tend to forget such a great match. Sorry! the greatest one day match in the history of the game.

So was yesterday's match between the two countries, which would go down as one of the greatest chases in tests of all times. And a fascinating thing to be noticed is that this came outside home, compared to the West Indies' world record run chase of 418 against the same Australia, which came in the West Indies. However, the caliber of the then Australian team that included the likes of Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and co..should not be left out. And for a team like West Indies, who can be assumed to flatter against even Bangladesh to get into such a great act is really appreciable.

This is the highest run chase in tests by a team outside its home country. I don't ever think that this needs to be told to anyone. So, now there is another team other than India to have beaten Australia at their own backyard. However, India have done it twice- once at Adelaide in 2003, and in Perth last year. Even this is needless to be said. However, a series defeat for Australia at home is a long way behind. The last that I can recall any such act is in 1992-93 against the West Indies where Australia lost 2-1 in the five match series. And India had leveled the series with Australia in the Border-Gavaskar trophy 2003-04.

If at all South Africa end up beating the Australians, it would be the end of the sixteen year drought. And, even the number sixteen doesn't seem to go well for the Australians in tests, for, their consecutive wins in tests has been halted at number sixteen on two occasions, and at both the times the culprit being India. So, even if the series is won by South Africa, it would not be a wrong guess. The venue for the first test was Perth- the venue where Australia suffered a test loss at the hands of India a year ago or so. So, it would not be wrong to cite all odds being against Australia this time against South Africa. However, matches are played on the cricket ground rather than on blogger's pens.