Australia v Pakistan

At Colonial Stadium, Melbourne, June 12 (day/night). Australia won by seven wickets. Toss: Australia.

The winter skies above the sealed roof were cold and murky, and the cricket played underneath it also lacked sparkle. Watched by a scattered crowd that was small by Melbourne standards, Australia cantered to an efficient, unremarkable win, which was all but clinched within 25 overs. McGrath and Bichel found zest in the drop-in pitch, zipping out four of the top order, all snared in the ring between keeper and point. The batsmen struggled to find rhythm against jagging seam movement and sharp bounce, and after 25 overs Pakistan had staggered to 78 for five - in effect for six after a savage short ball from McGrath hospitalised Imran Nazir with a suspected broken arm. Nazir returned later and hit some beefy drives, but Pakistan's 176 looked scanty. So it proved, as a slashing innings by Gilchrist and a muscular one by Hayden blasted Australia towards an easy win. With Brett Lee dropped and Shoaib Akhtar injured, the quest for the world's fastest man took place only in the papers.

Man of the Match: A. C. Gilchrist.