I would have done exactly the same as Glenn McGrath

Chris Cairns

November 15, 2001

To have gone so close against Australia and not snatched victory was pretty gut wrenching to say the least at Brisbane on Monday evening.

It was probably Glenn McGrath's second to last over that stopped us from taking the match.

McGrath did bowl a very good over to Craig McMillan and only conceded the one run.

Some people said his bowling should have been wided but he was operating within the laws of the game and I would have done exactly the same thing.

The most credit for the game should go to the two captains, Stephen Fleming and Steve Waugh.

Both displayed a strong desire to promote positive cricket and the declaration by Waugh was, I thought, a very generous one.

He did put his side under pressure, because with that few overs it was always going to be difficult for Australia to bowl us out if we were not going for the runs.

I suppose after the first two sessions of this Test nobody would have given us a chance of ending up in a position to have a chance of winning the game!

With the Aussies at 200 for none who would have thought otherwise. But some spirited bowling from us saw Aussie lose six wickets in a session and we were back in the game.

We knew that Adam Gilchrist would be tough and he did play very well. He always bats extremely well with the tail and he also scores very quickly which means he advances the game so much. A dangerous player indeed.

The rain that fell meant that we didn't begin our batting until the third day and with more rain falling it meant that batting on the morning of day four was tough because of the amount of time the covers had been on the pitch. That had the effect of freshening the wicket up.

Jason Gillespie produced some of the finest bowling I have seen to have us reeling but some good rearguard action saw us past the follow on and in the position to put the match back in Steve Waugh's court, from which he duly obliged and set us the target.

A good start was what was needed and seeing Mark Richardson get us away was great. I still think he will provide more highlights in Oz this summer.

When I came in we needed 100 off 15 overs but when Flem went out he said to me to keep going at the target but if I or Macca (Craig McMillan) got out we would shut up shop.

A good couple of overs off McGrath and Shane Warne saw us in the driver's seat but it wasn't to be.

I suppose that game goes down as an exciting draw and I must say it was exciting to play in.

But in the New Zealand camp we know how hard the Aussies will come back at us in Hobart because I'm sure we dented some pride.

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Chris Cairns

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New Zealand tour of Australia

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