Date-stamped : 18 Aug2000 - 14:24
27 February 1996
19th ODI: Australia v India, Match Report
The Electronic Telegraph
World Cup: Waugh takes honours in battle of style
Australia (258) beat India (242) by 16 runs
In the greater scheme of things, Australia`s 16-run victory
over India under the pristine lights at the Wankhede Stadium last
night may do nothing more than confirm their justifiable rating
as likely top dogs come Lahore on March 17.
Then again, it might make a fearful dent in local confidence.
India had won the previous three encounters between the teams
over this distance and thought something of themselves. Now they
are not so sure.
Whatever, the World Cup needed this wonderful match, needed
the exquisite batting of Mark Waugh and Sachin Tendulkar to live
up to its billing, needed the leg spinners Shane Warne and Anil
Kumble to attack and bamboozle, needed a nail-biter that took
the exhilarated and loud full house to the wire.
Praise be for the new pitch, which was a belter that offered
something to everyone. First to find out was Australian captain
Mark Taylor, who won the toss and promptly hit a series of off-
side strokes off front and back foot that gave his team a
rollicking start.
Mark Waugh joined the fun with a couple of easy cover drives
and Manoj Prabhakar was removed from the attack after four
expensive overs. Javegal Srinath might well have been rested,
too, so severe was Taylor on anything short of a good length.
One pull shot, straightish over mid-wicket for six, convinced
Mohammed Azharuddin that the time had come for Kumble, and the
trump card fired his darts with typical accuracy.
For a moment Taylor stood still but a thin nick past slip got
him on his way again - he passed 50 in 61 balls - and the
promising but punished Venkat Prasad was cut viciously by both
batsmen. The hundred came in a 21st over and then surprisingly,
from the next ball, came Taylor`s wicket when he thumped a long-
hop into the greatly relieved hands of deep mid-on.
Though the figures do not prove as much Venkataphy Raju, the
under-rated left-arm spinner, put the brakes on Australia who
threatened something mammoth.
There is much to be said for bowlers going on the attack in
one-day cricket, for resisting the obvious, for surprising
batsmen and thereby altering the odds.
For half-an-hour in the middle of the innings India got nice
and aggressive, posting a slip and a silly point as Raju found
some turn and Kumble found plenty of bounce, and whizzing throws
into the wicketkeeper`s gloves just to let Australia know they
had the stomach for the gruff world of the modern limited-overs
game.
Waugh was after the Indians, scything at everything
It was good stuff and might have won them the day but for the
even temperament of Mark Waugh, who let the dismissal of
Ricky Ponting to a thrilling catch at backward cover and the
unfortunate run-out of his brother from a deflection by Raju
which caught him out of his ground, go over his head while he
continued in his own glorious style.
Waugh made 130 in quick time against Kenya last Friday and his
rich innings here included eight fours and three sixes, the last
of which was a violent flat hit down the ground the minute
Srinath was recalled.
Waugh was after the Indians, scything at everything and it
took a fast throw from deep square leg to beat his risky second
run when little else would have done the trick. After he
left, Australia collapsed in strangely frantic fashion,
running each other out like lemmings and managing just 27
for the loss of seven wickets during the final five overs,
the most galling of which was the last, bowled by Prasad,
which took four wickets and cost just a single.
With Craig McDermott on his way home - the unknown South
Australian Jason Gillespie is his replacement - and Paul Reiffel
looking after a niggling hamstring, Damian Fleming`s lovely fluid
action took centre-stage.
Aday Jadeja was trapped at the crease, then Vinod Kambli
played all around a corker of an inswinger and lost his middle
stump. This left India seven for two and Tendulkar, the darling
of Bombay, with a frown. His response was to set about Glenn
McGrath, whose first three overs cost just a single, with
grievous intent.
The points went to Warne, the runs to Tendulkar
Considering the expectation of his people, the freedom of
Tendulkar`s stroke-play was staggering. He batted on the seat of
his pants and took his delirious audience with him as McGrath was
withdrawn after two further overs for 27.
Then came the over of the match. Warne took his time, kept the
magical little batsman waiting in fact as he rehearsed his
action, and saw his first ball, which was short, smashed back
over his head for four. Third ball Tendulkar drove into
Stuart Law`s diving left-hand mid-off and out again, fifth ball
was edged past slip for another boundary after a wild swing,
and sixth ball he played and missed at a snorting leg break.
The points went to Warne, the runs to Tendulkar.
His fifty came from only 41 balls and though Azharuddin
dragged a wide ball on to his stumps with a sloppy stroke,
another Bombay boy, Sanjay Manjrekar, in his first game of the
competition, quickly found his timing and gave Tendulkar exactly
the organised support that he required.
These two young guns put on 73 in 16 overs but were subdued by
the unlikely off-spin of Mark Waugh and the crafty wrist-spin of
Michael Bevan. These two give Australia a fresh dimension and it
was Waugh, who broke the girls` hearts by luring Tendulkar out
of his ground, with a wide would you believe, to give Ian Healy
the sort of stumping chance he so relishes.
From here India might still have won but Manjrekar`s shoulders
are not so broad as those of his young vice-captain and Warne,
who bowled nine overs for 18 after that unlucky first over to
Tendulkar, was a bit much for the lower order. India`s late, near
desperate search for victory were squashed by outstanding
outfielding and by the bowling combination of the ice-cool
Steve Waugh and the efficient Fleming.
Rightly, Mark Waugh was chosen as the man of the match but
Tendulkar had taken the breath away and again reminded one of the
unique talent which makes sport so special.
Man of the match: ME Waugh
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk)
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