Mark Waugh in forefront of Aussie win

By G. Viswanath

PUNE, MARCH 28. Australia is back to its winnings ways. The first win in four weeks on Indian soil against a team which thwarted it from conquering the `Final Frontier' must have been very sweet and satisfying for Australia. Mark Waugh (Man of the Match) was in the forefront of an assault for five minutes short of three and half hours that fashioned an emphatic eight-wicket win over India at the Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday.

There was utter confusion in the middle when Darren Lehmann briskly walked off after wicketkeeper Vijay Dahiya ran him out following a reflex action fielding by substitute Yuveraj Singh. The Indians staged a minor mid pitch demonstration, pleading with umpires S.C. Gupta and I. Sivaram that Mark Waugh (then on 94) and Lehmann had crossed and hence the former be declared out. The umpires consulted with third umpire C.R. Mohite and Mark Waugh stayed to complete a fine undefeated 133, his 18th century in 232nd one-day internationals and fourth against India.

India outplayed completely, managed a fighting total of 248 thanks to Hemang Badani who baulked the Australian bowlers and in the process scored his maiden century. But the target proved to be a cakewalk for the Australians, particularly openers Matthew Hayden and Mark Waugh. Their rousing partnership for the first wicket left a little over 100 runs for the middle order to achieve. Australia surpassed India's total with 29 balls to spare.

Australia's win has kept the five match series for the Pepsi Cup alive. The teams now fly to Indore 1-1 and ready to start the battle all over again. India had a great opportunity to put up a 300 plus total, apply pressure on Australia and force a win. Tendulkar promised a lot, but in going for the spectacular, he gifted his wicket to Australia, which did not give a quarter after his dismissal.

Mark Waugh and Hayden began cautiously. But after the first spells of Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan, they cut loose against spinners Harbhajan Singh, Sunil Joshi and Sachin Tendulkar. Mark Waugh whose first boundary was a brilliant backfoot cover drive, was confidence personified and flicked shots in the arc between square leg and mid wicket. He reached his 50 off 50 balls with eight fours. Hayden for his part pulled and slashed Srinath and stepped out once to lift Harbhajan straight into the sightscreen.

Australia lost its first wicket at 142 in the 26th over, when Sourav Ganguly caught Hayden off Khan. For the big crowd, most of whom saw the match through barbed wire mesh, the defeat came as a big disappointment. The home team looked out of sorts while batting and crushed when Mark Waugh and Hayden went about their task in a business like fashion. The unbroken third wicket stand of 86 between Mark Waugh and Michael Bevan further proved this point.

This season has been partly wonderful for Indian cricket wherein a handful of youngsters have made it really big. Here Badani walked in when India lost its third wicket five minutes past the first hour of the morning session. It was only his 10th one-day international in as many months but he has grown in stature in this short period of time and did not surprise anybody in anchoring the innings.

Less than six months ago he was the match winner against Zimbabwe, scoring his first half century. In the same series he made his highest (77) in Rajkot. Here he felt it obligatory to stay put for a long time, leaving the scene only when seven balls were remaining in the Indian innings. That he scored his 100 off just 98 balls also indicated his push to take the Indian total close to the 250 mark generally regarded as the first danger point in a limited over game because it asks the team batting second to chase at five runs an over.

Ganguly called correctly at the toss after being unlucky in the Test series. But events were not buoyant and helpful - though Sachin Tendulkar went after Glenn McGrath and succeeded - when the Indian openers went out to take on an Australian attack operating without spinner Shane Warne.

Australia also dropped Ricky Ponting and Ian Harvey, reasoning that Warne and Ponting's exclusion from the 11 as application of `rotation' of players for one-day internationals. But Indian batsmen and offspinner Harbhajan Singh should be given the credit for forcing Steve Waugh to take such a decision.

The skirmish between Tendulkar (who is 34 runs short of 10,000 runs and two wickets short of 100 wickets) and McGrath was interesting. Both have played their part in giving it a new dimension since the ICC Knock Out in Nairobi last October and on all three occasions Tendulkar appears to have ended the winner. But first Tendulkar picked on Damien Fleming, cutting him to the point fence, before turning his attention on McGrath and hammering him for four boundaries.

It was champion stuff so long as Tendulkar did not get carried away. The eighth over bowled by Fleming was eventful. Tendulkar whipped him of his front foot over mid wicket and then drove him imperiously through extracover. In between Fleming bowled a great delivery that lifted and beat Tendulkar. Tendulkar then hit down the throat of Lehmann a couple of yards from the line at backward square.

While Tendulkar was in good nick his captain Ganguly was all at sea. McGrath dismissed him, bowling him of an underedge bowling around the wicket and wide of the crease. Ganguly departed in the seventh over and Tendulkar in the next. The double blow, halfway through the first 15 overs, was a big setback which neither the in form Venkatsai Laxman nor Rahul Dravid could immediately improve.

They needed time and even as it appeared that they had succeeded Laxman sent back Dravid only to see Michael Bevan (at mid wicket) get into position quickly and throw to bowler Nathan Bracken who completed the formalities.

Laxman and Badani added a priceless 93 runs in 112 balls before Laxman himself was run out by Steve Waugh's direct hit from mid wicket. Debutant Dinesh Mongia followed Laxman after facing just six balls. Three consecutive run outs showed India in poor light and at 157 for five things were not going its way. Vijay Dahiya made it 162 for six leaving Badani and the lower order 11 overs and four balls.

Badani's first four was the first in 44 balls for India after Dravid's dismissal. The left hander cover drove Damien Martyn to the fence a fielding error by Steve Waugh allowing the ball to race all the way. Badani slowly got into his groove and timed his shots off left hand seamer Bracken, Andrew Symonds and Mark Waugh.

An overthrow from Steve Waugh saw him score his century. He was lucky that Bevan dropped him when he was on 52. But what mattered in the end was the 80 odd runs Badani made with Sunil Joshi and Zaheer Khan.

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly attributed his team's defeat to the three run outs, his cheap dismissal and Mark Waugh's magnificent batting. His counterpart Steve Waugh said, the big opening stand between Mark Waugh and Matthew Hayden made the difference.

``They batted brilliantly. Hayden is continuing his good form. I was not disappointed losing the toss. It was a two paced wicket yet not difficult to bat on. It (248) was a competitive total,'' said Steve Waugh.

Coach John Wright said adhering to the basics in all departments of the game, including running between the wickets, was very important. ``Australia is a high class fielding side. We should be carefull,'' he said.

Scoreboard

INDIA

S. Ganguly b McGrath                    4
(29m, 15b)
S. Tendulkar c Lehmann b Fleming       32
(35m, 29b, 6x4, 1x6)
V.V.S. Laxman (run out)                51
(112m, 86b, 3x4)
R. Dravid (run out)                    13 

(27m, 23b, 2x4)
H. Badani c Lehmann b Bracken         100
(142m, 98b, 10x4, 2x6)
D. Mongia (run out)                     2
(5m, 6b)
V. Dahiya c Bracken b Fleming           2
(9m, 7b)
S. Joshi c M. Waugh b Bracken          19
(33m, 23b, 2x4)
Z. Khan b McGrath                      15
(15m, 10b, 2x4)
Harbhajan Singh (not out)               1
(5m, 1b)
J. Srinath (not out)                    3
(1m, 2b)
Extras (lb-2, w-4)                      6
                                      ---
Total (for nine wkts. in 50 overs)    248
                                      ---

Fall of wickets: 1-29 (Ganguly), 2-37 (Tendulkar), 3-60 (Dravid), 
4-153 (Laxman), 5-157 (D. Mongia), 6-162 (Dahiya), 7-221 (Joshi), 
8-239 (Badani), 9-244 (Khan)

Australia bowling: McGrath 10-1-49-2, Fleming 10-1-39- 2, Bracken 
10-1-54-2, Martyn 7-0-41-0, Symonds 10-0-41-0, M. Waugh 3-0-22- 0

AUSTRALIA

M. Waugh (not out)                     133
(205m, 138 b, 15x4, 1x6)
M. Hayden c Ganguly b Khan              57
(116m, 81b, 5x4, 1x6)
D. Lehmann (run out)                     1
(16m, 4b)
M. Bevan (not out)                      33
(71m, 51b, 4x4)
Extras (b-4, lb-10, w-7, nb-4)          25
                                       ---
Total (for two wkts in 45.1 overs)     249
                                       ---

Fall of wickets: 1-142 (Hayden), 2-163 (Lehmann)

India   bowling:  Srinath  7-0-33-0,  Khan  6-0-26-1,   Harbhajan 
10-0-46-0, Joshi 9.1-0-54-1, Ganguly 3-0-17-0, Tendulkar 10-0-59- 
0.

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