November 11 Monday 2002
Waugh plays down batting form 

BRISBANE: Australia hammered the old enemy England in one of their biggest Ashes Test victories yet there is still scrutiny on skipper Steve Waugh and his batting. 

In the first Test played without his twin brother Mark since 1993, Steve did little to appease his critics who believe that at 37 he is well into the twilight of his career and should make way for a younger player. 

While the Australians amassed 788 runs in two innings with the loss of just 15 wickets, Waugh had scores of seven and 12. 

His was the only batting failure with Damien Martyn and Adam Gilchrist both making up for first innings flops with confident half-centuries in the second innings. Matthew Hayden, the man Waugh had shown so much faith in when he was recalled to Test ranks more than two years ago, was a colossus at the top of the order with twin centuries - 197 and 103.

Waugh had seemed to salvage his spot for this Ashes series with his unbeaten 103 in the third Test against Pakistan in Sharjah last month. But his double failure in Brisbane and the obvious confidence England had when bowling to him has returned the question mark on the skipper. In 13 Tests over the past 12 months Waugh has mustered 464 runs at 25.94 with one hundred and two half centuries. 

Waugh has vowed to bounce back as he celebrated Australia's 384-run first Test win at the Gabba on Sunday. "You miss out occasionally," he said. "This match I did but I can only do what I've been doing in the nets and that's practising well and if you miss out occasionally you miss out. 

"I made two mistakes. That's cricket. I'll come back next match." The second Test against England starts at the Adelaide Oval on November 21.