Advancing fair all the way Amazing Australian Cricket team achieved magical fifer in World Cup Cricket Tournament at MCG yesterday in front of record 93.013 adoring cricket fans. Strong in skills and athleticism all round Australian team caught the New Zealanders in MCG Mage and comprehensively beat them by seven wickets in an one sided world cup final. New Zealand played excellent cricket throughout the tournament winning all the matches prior to the final. But not playing in Australia over the last few years and not playing any match of the world cup outside their home condition caught the Kiwis napping at MCG against very strong Australia. Moreover, MCG is special .It takes time to adjust to wicket, environment and condition to set the bearings of individual players and the team at MCG. Ultimately far superior team on the day Michael Clarke-led Majestic Australia rewrote the cricket history. It is only the Eleventh World Cup tournament since it started in 1975. Australia alone has won five of it. They won world cup in all continent where cricket is played (India 1987, England 1999, South Africa 2003, Caribbean 2007 and now in Australia-New Zealand 2015. Australia to cricket is what Brazil to football. Perhaps a bit more. Brazil has peers like Argentina, Germany, Spain, France and Italy in football but Australia is slowly and gradually proving peerless in cricket.
This world was mostly dominated by the batsmen. Some regulations heavily favored the batsmen. Consequently scores of 300 plus were regularly chased. Every some scores were made above four hundred. In the bowling short stuffs were generously used to get wickets. On a featherbed flat MCG deck yesterday that was not the case. When Bredon McCullam opted to bat after winning the toss Australia’s formidable pace battery bowled fast, full and straight making life difficult for flamboyant Kiwi Batsmen. McCullam in this tournament had given blistering start to few innings creating solid platform. On the final day he played only few deliveries from sparkling Starc. On a new surface on a new day he should have been a bit more careful. But he was not. He tried for blasting Starc off length. But the man of the tournament now has so much depth and diversity in his repertoire. He fooled him with a fast straight delivery disturbing his furniture. McCullam returned to dug out with a duck walking along with him. Kiwis took time for absorbing this early set back.
Australians definitely had great homework of New Zealand batting. Every bowler bowled at specific length exploiting the weaknesses. Bowling Coach Craig McDermott must have primed them well. Not only Starc and Johnson even Josh Hazelwood and James Faulkner bowled very intelligently making survival extremely difficult for the black caps. All four Australian leading pacers Especially Mitchell Starc And Mitchell Johnson sent down some searing, swinging yorkers. At 3/39 New Zealand was reeling. However, Taylor and Elliot could stitch together a very brave and useful 111 fourth wicket partnership. New Zealand was about to take control at the beginning of the batting power play. But very intelligent but underrated Faulkner claimed stabbed New Batting middle order removing well set Taylor and Elliot .He also got rid of Anderson before he could open his account. These three wickets caused huge difference .Shell shocked Kiwis failed to recover .They were ultimately bundled out for 183 in 45 overs as Starc and Johnson were merciless in the last spells. Off the Kiwi batting only Elliot (83) and Taylor (40) could create some resistance. Five of the batsmen failed to open their account even. Faulkner and Johnson took three wickets each and Starc got two.
A target of 184 was not at all challenging for Australia’s strong batting. Yet there were few nerves .Aaron Flinch was consumed early by Trent Boult. David Warner was blazing using his bat like a sword. He sprinted to 45 in 46 deliveries striking seven fours. In efforts of playing one shot too many he holed out to Elliot of the bowling of Henry. But Clark and Smith playing like seasoned professionals cruised to the target to the delight of 93013 cheering cricket fans – a record for Australian ground watching cricket. Both scored fluent half centuries. Clark in his farewell innings for Australia in ODI left scoring 74 in 72 deliveries. His likely successor Smith struck the winning boundary and remained unconquered at 56. Australia won the match compressively by Seven Wickets with over 16 overs to spare.
This was the fifth World Cup for Australia and was perhaps the most deserving one as no other team looked as strong as Australia. True they lost Pool Match to New Zealand but even in that match they could create fascinating contest in defending a target of 152. In batting and bowling Australia has so much of diversity and depth. There is several match winners –movers and shakers in the team. Moreover, the team is mostly young and has the world of success in front of them.
James Faulkner was rightly given the man of the match award as his three wicket taking spell in the batting power play actually turned the tide to Australia’s favor. Mitchell Starc was exceptional throughout the tournament in the batting dominated world cup. He rightly won man of the tournament award.
New Zealand bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee were prolific in all matches in New Zealand. They bowled to wrong length and line at MCG. Perhaps Kiwis did not have the right home works of Australian batting. Clark and Smith were constantly fed in their favorite areas. Kiwis attack did not have the quality to cause any challenge to Australian batting at MCG at least. Swing wizard Southee was punished for bowling too short and too wide. They did not take any lesson from the way Australia bowled.
Finally some observations must be made about award Giving Ceremony. It was an ICC event managed by Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket. There was nothing wrong in three past world cup winning captains Clive Lloyd, Kapil Dev and Arjuna Ranatunga leading the Cup into MCG before the match. Perhaps few would dispute about great Sachin Handing over the man of match and man of the tournament award. Perhaps it could be more fitting to honor ailing Kiwi maestro Martin Crowe if he was present at MCG.
But the questions were raised why ICC Chairperson had to hand over trophy to winning Captain? ICC Constitution has a clear provision that President of ICC hands over the trophy to the winning captain. It is a tradition as well. Why present ICC President AHM Kamal of Bangladesh was not even in the presentation party? Why a controversial person an alleged convict of corruption in Indian Court was entrusted with the task of giving away the award? Has Mr Kamal resigned? Or has ICC taken any unanimous decision of removing him? Kamal as individual and as Bangladeshi expressed his sentiment about controversial umpiring decisions hurting his Bangladesh team interest. But that does not mean ICC has any right to humiliate him and Bangladesh. This action must be legally challenged. ICC owe a clarification and apology.
BDST: 0843 HRS, MAR 30, 2015
