MELBOURNE, Dec 30: Steve Waugh became the second-leading Test captain in cricket history on Monday when he led Australia to a five-wicket win over England in the fourth Ashes Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

“I’ll look back one day and say it’s a good achievement. Whilst it will go against my name as captain, it’s a team result,” Waugh told a news conference.

“It’s a nice record to have for all the guys,” the 37-year-old added.

Waugh claimed his 33rd Test win as captain from 44 matches, passing Allan Border’s Australia mark of 32 from 93 Tests.

Only former West Indies skipper Clive Lloyd’s 36 wins from 74 matches beats Waugh’s record.

Waugh will play his 156th match in the fifth Test starting on Thursday, equalling Border’s world record.

Australia’s bid to win 5-0 is now almost complete, which would equal Warwick Armstrong’s 1920-21 record against England.

“If we’re good enough, five-nil is a possibility now. It’s probably the first time we can really talk much about it,” Waugh said.

Australia, resuming at eight for no wicket, lost five for 82 before Adam Gilchrist (10 not out) and debutant Martin Love (six not out) ended the game without further headaches for Waugh, who batted with a migraine and scored a streaky 14.

“England fought back very well of course,” Waugh said.

“They had opportunities. Five-down (for 90), if they had taken another wicket then, they were into our bowlers and anything probably could have happened,” he said.

In a remarkable three balls from Steve Harmison he had Waugh giving a faint edge to wicket-keeper James Foster but England did not appeal because the players could not hear anything over the crowd noise, then Waugh was caught at cover by captain Nasser Hussain off a no-ball.

Waugh, Test cricket’s third-highest runscorer, did not realise it was a no-ball and walked halfway off the field before he was told to come back.

On the next ball, Waugh crashed a boundary through mid-off to reach eight.

“It was a good catch (by Hussain). That was probably the turning point of the morning. If that wasn’t a no-ball, England may well have gone on to win the match,” Waugh said.

Waugh said he was not upset by Hussain’s tactics of setting deep fields to give him a single late in an over to put him on strike for the next over rather than bowling to man of the match Justin Langer, who made 250 and 24.

“You could easily take it personally. I’ve got 9,900 runs or something so I know how to bat a little bit. But if he thinks their quick bowlers are more likely to get me out than Justin, then he’s entitled to do that,” Waugh said.

Waugh told reporters of his faint edge off Harmison: “Are you going to report yourself to the police station and say you were speeding (in your car)?

“As long as I’ve played, players have never walked. Players accept that. The umpires are there to make a decision, and that’s where it should be left.”

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings) 551-6 declared (J.L. Langer 250, M.L. Hayden 102, S.R. Waugh 77, M.L. Love 62 not out).