Warne's criticism of O'Keefe was over-the-top nasty

• COMMENT

Moments after Nathan Lyon took the 20th Indian wicket to fall in Pune, my son commented: 'Dad, didn't you say Australia would lose the series six-nil?' His knowing smirk, which I had come to think of as the permanent face of 15-year-olds, this time expressed genuine, candid, open glee.

Subcontinent ready or subconsciously ready for defeat?

According to the bookies, India are more likely to beat Australia in their Test series than Winx is to beat Mister Ed. If the Border-Gavaskar series, starting in Pune on Thursday, were to be played a theoretical 11 times, Australia would be backable to win it just once. At best. And even that is beyond punters' capacity for optimism.

Strength of women's sport is its biggest weakness

At a forum on the future of professional women's sports last year, the retired Australian netball captain Liz Ellis asked despairingly: 'Would it be better for us if we were in the news for being out on the drink and disgracing ourselves?'

Why Australian fans and players are sick of ODI cricket

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Just what is the Australian one-day cricket team anyway? An instrument of cricket diplomacy? An international aid organisation? A travelling circus? Whatever it is, we now know what it is not: a representation of Australia's best cricketing talent in the 50-over format.

Bowlers need safety nets in Twenty20's evolution

If you are a bit of a galoot at a golf driving range, the fun thing to do is aim some shots at the cart driving around sweeping up balls. The prank is only conceivable because the threat is doubly harmless: the cart driver is enclosed behind a reinforced plastic shield, and the ability of said galoots to hit any target, moving or not, creates its own unlikelihood.

Quitter hitters should leave the kitchen

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The retirement rate (if not the retirement age) has gone up by 50 per cent across the men's and women's games in the past decade.

Mid-year report for the Bingewatch League

Like any binge television viewing, the Big Bash League moves too fast for analysis of one particular match. Themes can, however, emerge from the continuum, and here's a report card of the BBL06 season so far.

Cartwright the forgotten man who delivered just four overs

Whatever the Australian selectors thought they were doing when they chose Hilton Cartwright for the Test match in Sydney, Steve Smith evidently did not think they had picked him as an all-rounder on a dry fifth-day pitch.

Poor scheduling puts heat on Australian tourists in India

Between now and the start of the first Border-Gavaskar Test match, Australia have no strenuous first-class engagements that will remotely approximate the pressure that will come down on them on 25 February.