McGrath makes it a no-contest

By G. Viswanath

MELBOURNE, FEB. 2. Australia won the first final of the Carlton & United Series in a most professional manner. The target Steve Waugh's team faced at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Wednesday only a few runs more than what it chased at Lord's last July. Australia might have appeared to have made a heavy weather of it, but given the superior position it was in at the supper time, it cut off all the frills to reach the winning score with 46 balls remaining. Ricky Ponting's half century and his third wicket stand with Michael Bevan, who scored his third successive half century against Pakistan, made an Australian win certain.

But first things first. The leader of the bowling pack gave a thorough demonstration of the art of new ball bowling he has become so famous for. There are fast bowlers, seam and swing bowlers and run-of-the-mill military medium bowlers who excel in providing breakthroughs in the short version of the game. But they cannot be peer to someone like Glenn McGrath.The lean and mean Australian fast bowler is something special. The others can at best play the supporting role. McGrath was so skilful and effective that the match became a no-contest from the first quarter of an hour of the match.

There were three top and middle order Pakistan batsmen who all between them faced eight balls without scoring a run and fell to McGrath who might be given a red carpet welcome at the `Living Legends Lunch' at Sydney on Thursday.

Steve Waugh had to make an important decision this morning. He dropped the experienced Damien Fleming. Naturally it surprised many. Fleming is the bowler who has often saved Australia in the death overs. It was he who bowled to Lance Klusener the final over of the World Cup semifinals. But the Australian captain picked the latest bowling sensation, Brett Lee, whose ten wickets in the league phase as against Fleming's five clinched him selection as a new ball ally to McGrath.

Having rallied splendidly from the defeat in the opening match against Pakistan at the `Gabba', the home team was the favourite before the three match finals. McGrath has rarely let Steve Waugh down. He did not have a great run in last year's World Cup, except against the West Indies at Leeds. The sheer fact of playing the World Cup final at Lord's inspired him bowl one of his best spells, which he acknowledged on Tuesday. The delivery that got him his first wicket - was right at Shahid Afridi's throat. The deflection off Afridi's gloves was taken by Adam Gilchrist well over his head which is a fair indication of the bounce McGrath managed to get so effortlessly.

The lone Pakistan batsman who has some runs to show for the league stage, Ijaz Ahmed, was a victim of seam and bounce which is McGrath's forte. And Shane Warne is such a safe fielder between Gilchrist and Mark Waugh that edges always are held as regulation catches that either dip below the knee or come right in front of the chest.

Inzamam-ul-Haq was adjudged leg before for the fourth time in nine matches. McGrath's length was so good and umpire Simon Taufel whom Wasim Akram had praised at Perth as one of the best Australian umpires, was right in ruling Haq out.

In a space of seven balls McGrath had literally closed out the first final. After receiving the Allan Border Medal on Monday night at the Melbourne Crown Casino, McGrath said he was honoured but he had not reached a stage of his career where he could be clubbed along with Dennis Lillee and Craig McDermott, and that he would not put down the last 12 months as outstanding in his career.`` May be from now on to the next summer I will be at my best,'' McGrath had said.

Pakistan recovered partially from the early blows struck by McGrath and the Lee brothers - Brett and Shane; the first named took Saeed Anwar's wicket and Shane accounted for Youhana.

Very few teams have recovered from 28 for five in the first hour of the match. The Australians sustained the pressure with Steve Waugh shuffling his bowlers. Azhar Mahmood, Wasim Akram and Moin Khan all hit sixes, but there was not a partnership that was bigger than 39, which was what Pakistan vice-captain and Saqlain Mushtaq added for the ninth wicket.

Moin Khan stepped out and lifted Warne for a straight six. It was a great shot. But the next one he tried to lift from the crease. The result was a catch to Martyn at long off. Moin Khan cursed himself because there were more than four overs remaining in which he could have added 25 runs batting in a normal fashion. Brett Lee vindicated his selection taking three wickets. He was pacy and bowled a good line.

``I think we were always in control of the game though we had to dig in after losing two early wickets. The pitch was excellent for batting. Pakistan should have scored 250 or there about. It was almost like the World Cup final. Glenn bowled so well. There was extra bounce for him. I shuffled the bowlers according to Pakistan batsmen. We dropped a couple of catches, but overall we were very tight. We have won eight matches now which shows we are very consistent.'' said Steve Waugh.

McGrath was delighted about having done the job for Australia. ``They hit me for 60 odd runs at Sydney. So it was nice to come back like this. The final always lifts my confidence levels. It was a good turn around. I was up there. I will be happy if we finish it off at Sydney so that we get one and-a-half week's rest before we go to New Zealand,'' said `Man of the Match'.

Pakistan's captain Wasim Akram said it's always difficult to comeback after being 28 for five. ``It was more than a bit of a task. I mean the top five are the most experienced batsmen. They have scored runs and won matches for us. I will have to stick with them. But one could easily make out the difference in fielding. That's because of the system here. The grounds are soft and a fielder can dive. Hopefully we will come back at Sydney.''

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN

S. Anwar c Warne b B. Lee                 7
(20b)
S. Afridi c Gilchrist b McGrath           0
(1b)
Ijaz Ahmed c Warne b McGrath              0
(5b)
I. Haq lbw b McGrath                      0
(2b)
Y. Youhana lbw b S. Lee                  14
(41b, 1x4)
A. Razzaq c S. Waugh b S. Lee            24
(58b, 1x4)
A. Mahmood c S. Waugh b Bevan            16
(44b, 1x4, 1x6)
Moin Khan c Martyn b Warne               47
(48b, 3x4s, 2x6s)
W. Akram b Symonds                       15
(32b, 1x6)
S. Mushtaq b B. Lee                      16
(27b)
S. Akhtar (not out)                       3
(7b)
Extras (lb-2, nb-1, w-9)                 12
                                        ---
Total (in 47.2 overs)                   154
                                        ---

Fall  of  wickets:  1-1 (Afridi), 2-4  (Ijaz),  3-4  (Haq),  4-12 
(Anwar),  5-28  (Youhana), 6-59 (Mahmood), 7-78  (Razzaq),  8-108 
(Akram), 9- 147 (Moin Khan).

Australia  bowling: McGrath 9-1-17-3, B. Lee 8.2-2-18-  3,  Warne 
10-2-33-1, S. Lee 10-1-37-1, Symonds 7-1-24-1, Bevan 2-0-16-1, M. 
Waugh 1-0-7-0.


AUSTRALIA

A. Gilchrist c Mahmood b Akhtar           9
(17b, 1x4)
M. Waugh lbw b Akhtar                    10
(19b, 1x4)
R. Ponting c Razzaq b Afridi             50 

(75b, 3x4s)
M. Bevan c Razzaq b Saqlain              54
(102b, 5x4)
S. Waugh (not out)                       19
(32b, 1x4)
D. Martyn (not out)                       4
(16b)
Extras (lb-4, nb-5)                       9
                                        ---
Total (for 4 wkts in 42.4 overs)        155
                                        ---

Fall  of  wickets:  1-11  (Gilchrist),  2-27  (M.  Waugh),  3-104 
(Ponting), 4-147 (Bevan).

Pakistan bowling: Akram 6-0-26-0, Akhtar 7-1-26-2, Razzaq  3.5-0-
19-0, Mahmood 7-1-22-0, Ijaz 0.5-0-2-0, Saqlain 10-0-27-0, Afridi 
8-0-29-1.

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