When Gilly met me at the crease yesterday afternoon I looked at my good mate from the west and said "you just never know mate, you just never know. If we can hang in here until stumps we might be half a chance tomorrow."

Admittedly I was talking more out of optimism than realism but even still my heart told me we were still some sort of chance. With our most senior batsmen licking their wounds in the Bellerive changing room I had a funny feeling that something special was still to come.

What transpired today was more special than I could have ever imagined. It wasn't only a special day for me personally but also for the Australian team and our sensational supporters. Personal glory is always sweet but it never matches the euphoria of sharing such triumph with your team-mates. The scenes in the viewing room were typically joyful as Gilly hit the winning runs over long on with everyone savouring the moment of this historic Test match victory.

This match was without doubt the toughest and most intensely competitive that I have ever been involved. The tension was so high for the full five days that it was no surprise to see the sheer elation that accompanied this victory. Equally, the disappointment painted on the faces of our opposition was as relevant to this drama as the smiles of delight etched under 12 baggy green caps.

From my part, the batting was great fun but not as much fun as my partnership with Gilly that made every bruise, every strain and every previous doubt and fears worthwhile. My partner was magnificent as he played with a fluency and confidence reserved for a champion sportsman. He is in superb form as he goes from strength to strength with every outing in the Test match arena. His skill today made my job easy as his ability to score runs freely kept the pressure down to a simple battle between bat and ball rather than a battle of wits and slow run rates.

The success of our partnership can be attributed mainly to our ability to stick rigidly to a game plan of playing one ball at a time with sharp concentration. Before every ball we were speaking to each other and encouraging each other to concentrate on "this ball" and "keep watching this ball like a hawk". Our communication was inspiring as we kept pushing ourselves to the limits of our beliefs to win an unlikely Test match. To say we were pumped up is something of an understatement. As each run, each minute was ticked off the ledger, the energy in the centre of Bellerive was as intense as the local power station. It was inspiring, exciting and one of the greatest experiences of my cricket career.

What started as an optimistic hope started to become reality as the minutes ticked by. It was an incredible experience that will be cherished forever. It was like living a dream. Playing in a winning Test match for your country is always a joy but playing a big part in a winning Test for your country is unbelievable. The pride on our captain's face was momentous as we entered the changing room. His pride in his team made the moment even more significant than that of a normal victory.

At lunch our team-mates were so pumped up that it wouldn't have seemed right to leave the field without having won this series. The feeling within the team was one of unwavering belief in the final result. Today has been a huge stepping stone for this team. If we have had a weakness before it has been in chasing a target. Today we have taken the first step towards dispelling this theory.

From Hobart

Feeling absolutely pumped!

JL