Well.. that was as lame a ODI performance from the world champions as I've followed in... well.. so long that I'd forgotten such ****-ups were possible. Some obvious individual culprits (the coach for selecting him, and Brett Lee for doing nothing to justify selection) spring to mind.. but is that it?

I was momentarily cheered when I heard that the Aussies had dropped their bits and pieces all-rounder for a proper 4th bowler.. and then gutted to see that they meant the show pony, rather than a frontline spinner, was to play alongside McGrath, Gillespie and Kasprowicz. Seemed daft at the time (given the nature of the pitch) and seems daft now.

One report in today's paper suggests that Lee's selection was based principally on fear of (and a plan to counter) Flintoff's destructive potential: I can't quite see that. Everyone seems to be agreed that the way to negate Flintoff is to ensure he has no room to swing his arms.. so the coach picks the wildest spatter-gun seamer this side of dear old Sami?

True to form... when a situation emerged that would have brought the best out of Warne, McGill or any other self-respecting slow bowler... the hothead served up rubbish.

So.. there may have been a tactical error.. but it always seemed to me that on a slow pitch... there was a distinct probability that the Aussie top order would be deeply uncomfortable... and I got the impression that was also borne out in play: Lehman alone seemed totally comfortable on a sticky wicket.. with all the others worrying when the ball didn't come onto the bat with the pace and bounce they like and with having to graft rather than carve out boundaries.

Doesn't bode well for the forthcoming tour to the sub-continent!