squad to tour India. He made a duck in the first game but scored 125 off 124 balls opening against Bombay and 95 against Young India. In the famous second tied test, Ritchie made 13 and 28. He didn't bat in the second test and made 31 in the third. In the third one-day international, Ritchie scored 75 off 53 balls. Ritchie was picked in the Australian side for the first test of the Ashes that summer. He scored 41 and 45. He made 141 against Victoria and made 33 and 24 off 139 balls in the second test. The third test saw Ritchie make 34 and 46 not out in the second innings, helping draw the game. Ritchie was then left out of the Australian one day side and was made 12th man for the fourth test so Australia could play an extra bowler. (Alan Border later said he wanted Ritchie to play but was overruled by the selectors.) Ritchie was picked in the squad for the fifth test and asked Alan Border if he could open with Geoff Marsh. Border agreed but Ritchie only scored 8 and 13. Ritchie was not picked in the Australian one day squad. He made 96 against Tasmania and was back in the squad. He earned selection on the tour to Sharjah. However he was omitted from the World Cup squad. Ritchie was unable to force his way back into the Australian team. He broke a long century drought in January 1988 with 100 against New South Wales. That summer he also undertook a promotional walk while injured. Ritchie was involved in an incident on a domestic flight on the way to playing WA for the Sheffield Shield final when then-Queensland-teammate Ian Botham assaulted a fellow passenger. He was summonsed to appear in front of a Perth Magistrate for offensive behaviour. Botham pleaded guilty to a similar change but Ritchie pleaded not guilty. The charge was then dismissed. Queensland lost the final to WA. In 1988-89 Ritchie was appointed Queensland vice captain, and led the side on a number of occasions. He scored 114 in an FAI Cup match against Victoria and his innings of 60 in the Cup Final was crucial in helping Queensland win. His form was so good there was some talk Ritchie might make the 1989 Ashes squad. "I think it's not really up to me to give an