Most Test matches and one-day cricket series take place in the form of "tours".

Sri Lanka was the host for the second edition, this was the first multi-national cricket series to be held there.

The popularity and reputation of the cricket series has led to many other events taking the name for England against Australia contests.

Two weeks ago India pulled out of a cricket series it plays every year with Pakistan in Toronto.

The Australians suggested that the series should be named "the Ashes" after the cricket series of the same name.

It is one of the longest cricket series played in Sri Lanka played continuously for the past eleven decades.

The cricket series comes at a time when the topsy-turvy relations between the two countries are at a crucial moment.

India are beginning a grinding four-Test cricket series against Australia in Melbourne.

There were also prices, fairly even, on who would win the cricket series between South Africa and England by winning most matches out of five.

Gower also spent time commentating on several cricket series in Australia in the 1990s.