19 Jan 2013

Horror day at the Gabba for Australia

7:11 am on 19 January 2013

Australia's batsmen have been humiliated at the Gabba, routed for a record low 74 by Sri Lanka in their one-day international cricket clash.

Sri Lanka easily reached the target, making 75 for six in 20 overs for a four-wicket win and a 2-1 series lead.

Afterward, the captain Michael Clarke stood resolutely behind Australia's unpopular rotation policy despite admitting selection changes contributed to their Gabba nightmare.

Clarke labelled it a "horrible day" - and it was just that, as the day-night match was finished at 6pm local time, a disappointed crowd of 20,271 traipsing home in the daylight.

It would have been over much earlier, well before the scheduled tea break, if not for a last-wicket stand of 34 by tailenders Mitchell Starc and Xavier Doherty - the only men to make double figures.