Fourth Test heads for foregone conclusion

By Malcolm Conn

MELBOURNE, DEC. 28. Only very bad weather is capable of preventing Australia's record-breaking winning stretch extending to 14 sometime on Friday when the West Indies resumes its second innings at a compulsory disarray of three for 10.

Brian Lara highlighted just how much of a rabble this sorry side has become. After Steve Waugh declared the Australian second innings at 262 for five with 11 overs remaining, leaving an impossible victory target of 462 in the fourth Test here, Lara arrived at two for 6 and left at three for 7, bowled for a duck shouldering arms to Jason Gillespie, who had all three wickets.

This had rapidly followed the departure of Darren Ganga leg before wicket without scoring and Wavell Hinds caught by Andy Bichel at fourth slip for four.

Even as Australia marches relentlessly towards another inevitable victory next week's last Test in Sydney has not suffered from the staggering gulf between these teams.

Those optimistic cricket supporters in Sydney still believe that Lara is due for something special after one decent score in eight innings. Sales for the concluding game of this five-match series continue apace.

Already the Australian Cricket Board has sold 17,500 of its 26,000 Sydney Cricket Ground tickets for the first day's play on Tuesday with the 16,000 capacity members area expected to be near full.

The desire to see the most successful side in the world has already dragged more than 125,000 through the gates during the first three days of this match despite the series already being decided.

When Steve Waugh walks off the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday with his reputation even further enhanced the number who have watched this game will have almost doubled the total attendances for the series.

Crowds have held up wonderfully well all around the country as people flocked to be part of history. When will it all end?

Certainly not in Melbourne with two days to play and the forecast improving. Highly unlikely in Sydney too given the mental, physical and technical chasm which has separated these two sides all summer.

The Indian tour from February to April now stands as the last frontier. A series victory there for the first time in 31 years will complete the jigsaw during the time of Steve and Mark Waugh.

Australia will have beaten everyone everywhere with the obvious exception of the unencountered Bangladesh, although Australia's 1-0 series victory during 1992 in Sri Lanka will not be so fondly remembered by the pair. Steve had been dropped and Mark finished with four successive ducks.

No such scenario at the MCG though with both men at or near the top of their game. Mark Waugh has not played so well in almost two years. Series averages over the last year or so of 25 in the West Indies, seven in Sri Lanka, 26 against Pakistan and an uncertain 34 against India have been replaced by 47 in New Zealand and 63 this summer after an unbeaten 78 on Thursday. He is the leading run-scorer from either side with 314.

The possibility of striving for a century was discussed while batting with brother Steve but abandoned in favour of an unbeaten innings when scoring quickly became too difficult.

Justin Langer top-scored with 80, his best of a lean summer, but the way he brought up his first half-century and then was ultimately dismissed were typical of the way things have gone for the West Australian left hander this past month or so.

His 50 came from an attempted glide behind point which raced past leg stump to the boundary and the innings ended limply, edging the exceptionally modest left arm finger spin of Jimmy Adams to Ganga at slip.

It was Adams' first wicket of the series during his 38th over across four Tests, but more success followed against pinch hitter Colin Miller, who had earlier lifted an Adams delivery into the Great Southern Stand just to the left of the sight screen.

Another charge left Miller (11) hopelessly stranded as Adams fired the ball in fast and short. Remarkably it bounced and turned, giving Ridley Jacobs the easiest of stumpings.

After seven dismissals in the first innings Jacobs, the only West Indian to show resolve across the country this tour, finished with nine for the match, equalling the record of nine for an Australia-West Indies Test set by Deryck Murray at the MCG almost 20 years ago.

The decision to send Miller in as a pinch hitter was odd indeed given that Ricky Ponting followed and hit an unbeaten 26 in 24 balls with five fours.

That Adams was the West Indies' best bowler highlights the depth to which this once feared four-pronged pace attack has tumbled.

Courtney Walsh, still eight wickets from 500, is feeling every one of his 38 years yet was forced to bowl twice as many overs as his three younger companions to tea. It is no surprise he did not appear after the break.

If Mervyn Dillon, Nixon McLean and Colin Stuart have learnt anything from their association with Walsh on this tour it is not showing. Otherwise they may have figured out by now that Mark Waugh can play off his legs, Steve Waugh can cut and Ponting can pull and hook.

With Australia already 199 ahead on the first innings, the day was always going to be academic but it began well enough for the West Indies. Michael Slater was caught at slip by Lara off Dillon for four.

Matthew Hayden (30) became yet another victim of the skied pull and after Langer had departed Steve Waugh (20) received one of the genuinely good balls delivered by the tourists, caught behind nicking a delivery from Stuart which left the batsman off the pitch.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Sathyapragyan on top
Next     : Pollock joins 200 club