Awesome Australia : The Tribune India

Join Whatsapp Channel

The Tribune at world cup: Rohit Mahajan in Melbourne

Awesome Australia

 Australia are world champions again. Four years and five days after they lost the crown in India, they found it at home, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in the presence of a sellout audience. Their chase of the 183 put up by New Zealand was boringly routine; it was delightfully thrilling for most of the 93,013 people who had milled into the massive coliseum of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Awesome Australia

Australia’s players shower champagne on captain Michael Clarke (C, with trophy) as they celebrate after winning the World Cup final in Melbourne on Sunday. AFP



 Australia are world champions again. Four years and five days after they lost the crown in India, they found it at home, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in the presence of a sellout audience.

Their chase of the 183 put up by New Zealand was boringly routine; it was delightfully thrilling for most of the 93,013 people who had milled into the massive coliseum of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

There was a sense of relentlessness, inevitability about the ascension of Australia, right from the fifth ball of the innings. Bowled by the awesome Mitchell Starc at close to 149 km/hr, it left the wicket of Brendon McCullum in utter ruins. McCullum, the captain of New Zealand, their tough and fearless leader, was gone less than five minutes into the final. That ball was very full and fast; it pitched in line with off and swung in. McCullum can’t be fearful, he can’t be... But, before a stadium-full of  baying Australian supporters, did his heart flutter a bit? Did his nerve fail to settle before mortality was delivered to his innings by that delivery? 

That’s very likely — he was tentative in handling that delivery. He did not attempt to smash it, he did not attempt to defend it. He was late on the ball. His off-stump was bent back — it flashed the colour red, and New Zealand were in grave danger after that first blow. That was the moment that turned the match. Only one wicket fell, only five balls were bowled. But the match, the trophy were directed almost decisively into the direction of the Australian camp. Still, the win wasn’t obligatory there onward — Australia worked really hard for it. Their bowlers worked really hard for it. They bowled with pace and direction, attacking the stumps or the heads or the batsmen. 

The field, extremely attacking, didn’t allow the singles. The fours were difficult to find. The sixers were hit through accident — off the edge of the bat, over the head of the wicketkeeper.

The bowlers had been under siege in this World Cup. Scores over 400 were made three times; scores over 300 were made 28 times. Two individual double centuries were made; there had been five other individual scores above 150. But the final belonged to the bowlers, Australian bowlers. 

Slow crawl

New Zealand crawled there on. For 11 overs, Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson defended stoutly as the Australians attacked the stumps and the bodies of the batsmen. In just over 10 overs, a mere 32 runs accrued. 

The bowlers, wretched victims of the batsmen since the new rules came into place in 2012, hit back in the most important match. 

Martin Guptill, one of the two double-centurions in the tournament, didn’t last long. He was consumed by Glenn Maxwell when the bowler hit his off-stump. The ball seemed harmless enough, but Guptill was feeling the pressure of not scoring quickly enough. It was 33/2 in 11.2 overs. It soon became 39/3 when Kane Williamson gently spooned the ball back to Mitchell Johnson, after making 12 off 33. The Kiwis began a slow but steady fightback through Ross Taylor and Grant Elliott. The two began with modesty and reticence. Both of them can hit the hide off the ball, but they were mindful of the grandeur of the occasion. For nine overs, not a single four was hit, even though Michael Clarke had placed his fielders in attacking, catching positions. The Australians breathed fire, the New Zealanders were defensive and keener about singles than fours or sixers. 

The two, slowly and steadily, running their runs hard, brought New Zealand back into the most important One-day match in their history. They added 111 for the fourth wicket, taking the score to 150, in the 36th over. Visions of a score of close to 300 must have swam then before the eyes of the New Zealanders. 

Pace and swing

But that was not to be. New Zealand were rocked by extreme pace and swing early on. Now they were rocked by the slowness and cleverness of James Faulkner’s bowling. Faulkner got two wickets in three deliveries, one with a slower ball, one with a quicker one. Taylor and Corey Anderson were gone. New Zealand hastily adjusted their hopes, hoping for 240 instead of 300.

They fell way short of even 240, finishing with 183.

Now, in World Cup finals, 183 has proved to be a total that is unbeatable — India made 183 in the final in 1983 and beat West Indies in the final. 

But it’s a different era, different times, when even 300 isn’t safe. New Zealand needed wickets early and often. They got one early, Aaron Finch taken out by Trent Boult in the second over. David Warner was the next man out, in the 13th over, after spanking 45 off 46 balls. In the context of the low Kiwi total, that was a hard and swift blow. 

But defeat was made certain by Steven Smith and Michael Clarke, who came together at 63/2. They added 112 for the third wicket, in 18.5 overs. They didn’t need to exert themselves unduly — they didn’t need to. They eased themselves and Australia cruised towards the New Zealand total. Then, they accelerated as the end beckoned, hitting boundaries as the Kiwis brought the field in in the hope of getting a wicket. 

Clarke and Smith completed their half-centuries — the retiring ODI captain and his successor combined flawlessly. When the victory was achieved, the team, stadium, and Australia celebrated. It was an anti-climactic end. Goliath crushed David. New Zealand, the sentimental favourites, were beaten hollow. But no one would disagree with the contention that the best team in the world won the crown. 

  • There’s no such thing as fairy-tales in sport, but it’s probably as close as it gets for me. — Michael Clarke

Scoreboard

New Zealand

Guptill b Maxwell 15

McCullum b Starc 0

Williamson c & b Johnson 12

Taylor c Haddin b Faulkner 40

Elliott c Haddin b Faulkner 83

Anderson b Faulkner 0

Ronchi c Clarke b Starc 0

Vettori b Johnson 9

Southee run out (Maxwell) 11

Henry c Starc b Johnson 0

Boult not out 0

Extras (lb 7, w 6) 13 

Total (all out; 45 overs) 183 

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-33, 3-39, 4-150, 5-150, 6-151, 7-167, 8-171, 9-182

Bowling

Starc 8-0-20-2

Hazlewood 8-2-30-0

Johnson 9-0-30-3

Maxwell 7-0-37-1

Faulkner 9-1-36-3

Watson 4-0-23-0

Australia

Warner c Elliott b Henry 45

Finch c & b Boult 0

Smith not out 56

Clarke b Henry 74

Watson not out 2

Extras (lb 3, w 6) 9

Total (3 wickets; 33.1 overs) 186

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-63, 3-175 

Bowling 

Southee 8-0-65-0

Boult 10-0-40-1

Vettori 5-0-25-0

Henry 9.1-0-46-2

Anderson 1-0-7-0

Man of the Match: James Faulkner

Top News

Jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest

Jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest

Ansari was hospitalised after he complained of abdominal pai...

Delhi High Court dismisses PIL to remove Arvind Kejriwal from CM post after arrest

Delhi High Court dismisses PIL to remove Arvind Kejriwal from CM post after arrest

The bench refuses to comment on merits of the issue, saying ...

Arvind Kejriwal to be produced before Delhi court today as 6-day ED custody ends

Excise policy case: Delhi court extends ED custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till April 1

In his submissions, Kejriwal said, ‘I am named by 4 witnesse...

‘Unwarranted, unacceptable’: India on US remarks on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest

‘Unwarranted, unacceptable’: India on US remarks on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest

MEA spokesperson says India is proud of its independent and ...

Gujarat court sentences former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt to 20 years in jail in 1996 drug case

Gujarat court sentences former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt to 20 years in jail in 1996 drug case

Bhatt, who was sacked from the force in 2015, is already beh...


Cities

View All