In this book, a cricket fan writes of watching every match of the 2024-’25 Australia-India series

The moment I finally said, “Alright, I’m doing this, I’m going to Brisbane to watch the Test,” Brisbane said, “Too late, mate.” Not in so many words, of course. But the ticketing website did flash a smug little Sold-Out banner across the screen, and that felt close enough. Turns out, while I was busy weighing the pros and cons of leaving my family a week early, thousands of other fans had already clicked Book Now.

But there was no going back now. I was fully committed.

And I wasn’t ready to un-commit. I’d already crossed that invisible line in my head. So I did what felt natural: I booked my first flight. A Saturday morning departure to Brisbane, which would put me in the city right as the match was about to begin. No stadium seat, no accommodation sorted, no plan beyond just being there. But still, I was going. Somehow, the rest would sort itself out. That’s the thing about Test matches. You don’t just watch them.

You give yourself to them. It felt like a good decision. Until I checked the calendar.

The flight was on a Saturday morning. I had booked it on a Thursday night. Which left me exactly one...

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