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Wednesday,
March 12, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Lee, McGrath rout Kiwis Bond impressed with lively spell McGrath ends
7-year wait Martyn happy to be quiet achiever Kenya keen to silence critics Zimbabwe lift themselves in crisis
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Sidelined Olonga
keen to play I’m quitting, no regrets: Flower Ganguly keen to settle scores Unusually wretched day for Lankans Formwise, India are strong title contenders Tendulkar’s steady march towards another award ‘Sachin reduces Lanka to ashes’
‘Sachin and the rest’ Srinath
proves his worth 13TH MAN Whatmore predicts India-Aussie final Anwar to hang boots?
Samarveer Sahi Golf from Mar 13
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Lee, McGrath rout Kiwis
Port Elizabeth, March 11 Bond’s six for 23, the best by any New Zealand bowler in a one- day international, had knocked off Australia’s top order before Michael Bevan and Andy Bichel played saviours to ensure a total of 208 for nine. But the combined might of Lee and McGrath proved to be much stronger than that of Bond as the duo cleaned up New Zealand batting for just 112 in 30.1 overs. Lee completely overshadowed the performance of Bond, claiming five wickets, including that of New Zealand top-scorer Stephen Fleming, in just 13 deliveries to hasten the demise of the Kiwis. The victory almost ensured the top place for Australia in the Super Six table. They now have 20 points with a match against Kenya to play. On the other hand, New Zealand, who have eight points, are now left in a must-win position against India to qualify for the semifinals. Fleming was the lone New Zealand batsman to put up a fight. He scored 48 runs from 70 balls with seven fours before becoming the first victim of Lee in the 25th over. Lee, who had earlier struck 15 unbeaten runs from just six balls, simply ran through the lower order batsmen after that dismissing Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram, Andre Adams and Bond in quick succession. McGrath had taken care of the top order, sending back Daniel Vettori (10), Nathan Astle (0) and Scott Styris (3) as New Zealand slumped to 33 for three in the seventh over. Fleming’s 33-run partnership with Chris Cairns was the best of the New Zealand innings which was never allowed to settle down by the Aussie quicks. Ian Harvey and Andy Bichel also chipped in with a wicket each as the support bowlers kept on the pressure. Earlier, Bond’s extra-ordinary bowling had raised the hopes of the Kiwis achieving the unthinkable — stopping the Australian juggernaut in this tournament. Claiming three wickets each in two spells, Bond had made the mighty Australian batting line-up look vulnerable. However, an eighth-wicket partnership of 97 between Michael Bevan (56) and Andy Bichel (64) helped lift the world champions to 208 for nine, giving them something to bowl at and setting up an intriguing second half to the contest. Bond’s figures beat the previous best by a New Zealand bowler, the six for 25 taken by team mate Scott Styris against the West Indies in Port of Spain in 2002. Bond’s path of destruction began in just his second over when he found the edge of Matthew Hayden’s (1) bat with a delivery that bounced and left the batsmen, presenting Brendon McCullum with a simple catch behind the wicket. In his next over, Bond trapped the dangerous Adam Gilchrist (18) leg before wicket with a full-length ball and his third victim in an opening spell of three for 20 in six overs was Australia captain Ricky Ponting (6) edging a wild drive to Fleming at first slip. Ponting’s dismissal meant Bond had dismissed him six times in as many one-day matches. After Andre Adams found the edge of Darren Lehmann’s bat, having him caught by Nathan Astle in the gully for four, Bond was called back into the attack and produced a second, devastating burst just as Australia seemed to be finding their feet again. Bond removed Damien Martyn (31), caught behind by McCullum, and Brad Hogg, trapped in front by a toe-crushing yorker, in successive balls. Ian Harvey then played and missed at the hat-trick ball, which was measured at 154 kilometres an hour. Reuters SCOREBOARD Australia: Gilchrist lbw b Bond 18 Hayden b McCullum b Bond 1 Ponting c Fleming b Bond 6 Martyn c McCullum b Bond 31 Lehmann c Astle b Adams 4 Bevan c Vincent b Oram 56 Hogg lbw b Bond 0 Harvey b Bond 2 Bichel c Cairns b Oram 64 Lee not out 15 McGrath not out 3 Extras:
(lb-1 w-4 nb-3) 8 Total: (9 wkts, 50 overs) 208 Fall of wickets:
1-17, 2-24, 3-31, 4-47, 5-80, 6-80, 7-84, 8-181, 9-192. Bowling:
Bond 10-2-23-6, Adams 9-2-46-1, Vettori 10-1-40-0, Oram 7-0-48-2, Harris 10-1-24-0, Styris 3-0-18-0, Astle 1-0-8-0. New Zealand: Vettori c Gilchrist b Fleming c Gilchrist b Lee 48 Astle c Ponting b McGrath 0 Styris lbw McGrath 3 Cairns c Lee b Bichel 16 Vincent c Martyn b Harvey 7 Harris not out 15 McCullum lbw Lee 1 Oram b Lee 0 Adams b Lee 0 Bond c and b Lee 3 Extras:
(lb-4, w-5) 9 Total: (all out, 30.1 overs) 112 Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-14, 3-33, 4-66, 5-84, 6-102, 7-104, 8-104, 9-108. Bowling:
McGrath 6-1-29-3, Lee 9.1-2-42-5, Harvey 6-3-11-1, Bichel 5-0-15-1, Hogg 4-0-11-0. |
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Bond impressed with lively spell What India is to Pakistan in cricket, New Zealand is to Australia.
Its gets the adrenaline oozing and gets a bit extra from the players of both sides. The only difference—New Zealand gets to play Australia more often than India meets Pakistan and this helps the competition to remain cricketing. No wonder we saw some breath-taking action from Port Elizabeth. It was second straight time that the skipper winning the toss surprised everybody with his decision to put the opposition in. Stephan Fleming is an shrewd captain and just four overs from the start of the match, things started happening at a hectic pace—-wickets fell, boundaries were hit, wides bowled and a spinner operated as first bowling change. Fleming, in fact, was supported to the hilt by this bowlers and that made all the difference between a blunder and a tactful decision to bowl first. Getting Vettori to turn his arm over in the fourth over was good, considering that both Ponting and Gilchrist do not relish slow bowling and tried to get their runs from the other end, where Bond was sending down some accurate stuff, and gifted wickets in the process. Bond impressed with his lively spell early on. He was putting the ball in the right corridor, pitched the ball up to the batsman and pulled a fast one near the batter’s nose occasionally. In short, he used his variations well and the devastating yorker was a good addition to his armoury. Having said this, it really pains me that such a brilliant spell of fast bowling did not end up on the winning side. Agreed, Brett also got five in his kitty and helped Aussies defend a modest total but I would still say that Bond was the best in sight yesterday. So courtesy Bond, Aussies were, for the third time, in dire straits but similar to the previous occasions they managed to scrape out well and winning too. This is precisely why Australians are a tough side to beat. They have in their ranks, Micheal Bevan, who begins to get going when everyone else throws their arms up in surrender. Their batting and bowling depths are immense while their fielding can be summed as world class. For the second successive time, Andy Bichel, given as a replacement fast bowler for Gillespie has rescued his side showing his batting skills! However, I feel Fleming too, like Hussain and Waqar, would have been frustrated by inefficiency of his bowlers to provide the finishing touches. The Black Caps have often, the latest example being the match against Zimbabwe, struggled in their bowling section once Bond finishes his spell. Adams, Vettori, Oram and Harris are at best pedestrian and this particular loss will haunt the Kiwis more for obvious reasons. There were close to proving wrong the notion that Aussies are invincible but ended up on the wrong side themselves. Once they allowed Bevan and Bichel to settle down, I thought New Zealand lost the match there and then. They knew how these two played against England at this very ground and allowing them to anchor the Aussie ship was baffling. Seeing two hundred on the board is always a psychological plus for the bowlers to come out and defend, and what McGrath and Lee did was expected of them. The Kiwis second weak link also came out for viewing when Vettori partnered Fleming to open the innings. Vettori can do a Bichel or Lee only down the order and not at the top. Opting with Vettori when Astle had already done the job, and splendidly too, was another shocker from the Kiwi camp. Their batsmen, perhaps, thought this target to be easy one did not give an impression of being up to the task at any stage of the innings, getting out to some avoidable shots. It was only a matter of time before Fleming, fighting a lone battle in the middle, to succumb and join his colleagues in the dressing room, mourning at the waste of a golden opportunity to seal their semi-final berth. The Kiwis have their backs to the wall now, needing to beat India in their last Super Six engagement to entertain any hopes of the last four stage. With Indians batting and bowling incredibly well, Fleming should plan some hard talk with his team.
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McGrath
ends 7-year wait
Port Elizabeth, March 11 It was not a “I was there” sort of innings but for the Australia quick bowler, it ended a seven-year wait to break his tournament batting duck. The 33-year-old McGrath, nicknamed ‘Pigeon’, confidently flicked a Jacob Oram delivery to leg for his first run and stole a second on the overthrow in today’s Super Six match. He then squeezed the next ball to fine leg to finish on three not out. Never mind that fellow quick bowler Andy Bichel managed 64 and that Brett Lee, completing Australia’s triumvirate of
pacemen, hit the last two balls of the innings for sixes. For McGrath, his 25th World Cup game will remain special. He made his tournament debut in 1996 against Kenya. Australia’s one-day expertise is such that today was only the fourth time he had managed to pad up and get to the crease. His previous three innings read nought not out (he did not face a ball that day in 1996, against India in Mumbai, nought (bowled second ball by Wasim Akram in 1999 at Leeds) and nought not out (off one ball, in the 1999 tied semifinal against South Africa at
Edgbaston). McGrath is much more prolific outside World Cups. He averages almost four in 176
one-dayers overall and has scored 6.43 per visit in 91 Tests. Reuters
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Martyn happy to be quiet achiever
Port Elizabeth, March 11 The Western Australia right-hander was at it again on Friday against Sri Lanka, crafting 52 from 58 balls while his captain Ricky Ponting, with 114, and vice-captain Adam Gilchrist, who passed 5,000 one-day runs on the way to scoring 99, took the plaudits. Almost unnoticed, Martyn has scored three fifties as part of his haul of 204 runs at an average of 51. “We do joke about it in the dressing room, about certain players grabbing the headlines all the time,” he told Reuters yesterday. “I guess it could frustrate you as batting is my craft, you try to do it well and you don’t get too many hundreds or significant scores in your career. “But the way the likes of Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting have been batting, you just can’t compete with that so it really doesn’t bother me. “The way I see it, you could be in the press for making a hundred or a negative thing but if you are not there at all then you are just in the background, being quiet and everyone’s leaving you alone.” In a side of big names, Martyn is a player who has mastered the art of blending into that background. He has, therefore, missed out on the commercial endorsements enjoyed by others. That does not seem to bother him either. “Even though there are no egos in the team there are a lot of superstars,” he said. “You are always going to get the stars who have the endorsements but I don’t worry about that and I don’t think I should be getting the deals anyway. “At the moment I’m just looking to play and taking everything on board because this could be my last World Cup...I want to enjoy it as you can’t play forever,” he added. “In the team I’m outgoing but I haven’t gone out of my way to get a newspaper column or do adverts or become a public figure. “My character in the public sense is quieter, not so much shy as just keeping myself to myself.” This is his second World Cup. In 1999, Martyn was a squad player, just back in the side after four years in the international wilderness; now he is established at number four. “In 1999 I was like Jimmy Maher in the current squad, the back-up batsman, so I feel for him now,” said Martyn. “Having said that, although I only played two games I was just happy to be there.” “I’d just got back in the one-day side in 1998 and so to be picked as the fringe batsman for the World Cup, I thought it was fantastic. “I just saw it as a learning curve and was just pleased to be back in. “Now it is a different side, it’s a lot younger and there is a whole different feel as a result. Reuters
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Kenya keen to silence critics Bloemfontein, March 11 “A lot of people seem unhappy that we’re still involved,” said Patil in a reference to the way Kenya were gifted four points when New Zealand forfeited their February 21 match in Nairobi. “It’s not just down to luck. We’ve played some good cricket. By reaching the Super Six, which was one of our goals, we’ve taken half a step forward. But another win would be one more half step and the icing on the cake. “Every game is a big game for us,” said Patil, a member of India’s 1983 World Cup winning team. Kenya have never beaten Zimbabwe in 14 one-day internationals, their fellow Africans winning 12 with two no-results. But Patil is not too concerned, having watched his men produce one of the shocks of the tournament by beating Sri Lanka in the group phase. “Our record against anyone is not that good,” he cheerfully admitted. “But we are capable of causing these upsets, so why not another one?”. Paceman Henry Olonga took six for 28 in Zimbabwe’s nine- wicket win when the teams last met in Bulawayo in December, but Olonga hasn’t played since Zimbabwe’s opening group match against Namibia on February 10 in Harare, a match where he and leading batsman Andy Flower wore black armbands and issued a statement lamenting the “death of democracy” in Zimbabwe. That December 15 match was also Alistair Campbell’s last for Zimbabwe. But the former captain turned television commentator won a dramatic recall following the skull fracture sustained by Mark Vermeulen which has ruled him out of the rest of the tournament. Campbell, whose kit has still to arrive, said Zimbabwe were in for a tough game. “The Kenyans have got no world-beaters, but their bowlers bowl an irritating length, there are not too many balls to hit. And their batsmen are capable of posting a score,” he said. Flower is expected to play but Whittall’s hamstring problem will be assessed again today. Travis Friend, the man who inadvertently ended Vermeulen’s World Cup in the nets here and who was a substitute fielder in the six-wicket defeat by New Zealand, could well start as Zimbabwe are a bowler light after losing leg-spinner Brian Murphy to a calf injury. His place in the squad has gone to Stuart Matsikenyeri.
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Zimbabwe
lift themselves in crisis Zimbabwe cricket may not have the strongest setup in the world going for it right now, but one thing is for certain, they will give 100 per cent all the time and have a knack of lifting themselves at a time of crisis. The Kiwis’ may have won the game but there were times in the match when it was evenly poised. The Zimbabwe captain, Heath Streak, played an innings of a lifetime to get his boys out of deep trouble and just didn’t have enough in the bowling department to exert enough pressure on Fleming and his men to create a positive result. There has been plenty of talk that the Zimbabwean lads don’t really belong in the Super Six round and that they only arrived there by default. Certainly there is an element of truth in that but any team that arrives at a game believing they are a walkover will almost certainly pay the price. The performance of Andy Flower is always watched with great interest and more often than not he is a catalyst to their success. He has the ability to bat through an innings and plays spin exceptionally well. Being run out a critical stage in the innings definitely put the skids on the run rate. Not only does run-scoring slow down but the opposition get such a lift when they get him out that it has a knock-on effect. The Kiwis knew they had control of the game after his dismissal. Looking at the game from a New Zealand perspective, Fleming would be extremely happy to have come away with a win after an indifferent performance from his bowlers. Too many wides upfront and then allowing the grip on the match to slacken is not something any captain wants to see. It must be said however, that the pitch was as flat as the tar road outside the ground. The New Zealand batting has been a revelation with Fleming opening the batting and with someone like Cairns in the
line-up just waiting to fire, they look like they could beat any side in the competition on their day. A huge plus would be if Cairns could fulfill the bowling role as the competition develops. With the psychological advantage they have by having beaten the Australians not too long ago, the talk is that they are the most likely side to win the competition outside Ponting’s men. Getting back to Zimbabwe one can only admire them for what they are trying to achieve. Against the background turmoil, sanctions and many other hardships at home, they are committed to ensuring that cricket lives on as before in their country and that the next generation benefits from their participation. Let’s hope they can keep the interest going by showing the world that the game is bigger than any one person! A performance that didn’t go unnoticed was that of the young keeper, Taibu. He will clearly head up the next generation.
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Sidelined
Olonga keen to play Bloemfontein, March 11 His involvement in the World Cup, however, has amounted to bowling three overs in his one appearance and then carrying the drinks tray. “I had a great game against Kenya last time and I’d love to have another crack at them,’’ Olonga told Reuters today. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity of playing against them again, but it’s not up to me.’’ Olonga’s 18 deliveries were against Namibia in Zimbabwe’s first match of the tournament in Harare on February 10. That was also the day he and Andy Flower began their protest against what they saw as human rights abuses in Zimbabwe by wearing black armbands. Debate has raged ever since over whether
Olonga, the first black cricketer to represent his country, has been ignored by the selectors in the team’s five subsequent games as a punishment for that stand. Flower has retained his place, despite being reported by his national board to the International Cricket Council and asked to stop his protest. Olonga said he was ready to resume active duty. ‘’I’ve done a lot of fielding (as 12th man) but I’m very fresh, there’s plenty of energy left in these legs,’’ Olonga said.
Zimbabwe have an unbeaten record against Kenya, beating them in their 12 completed games. Two other matches ended in no-results.
Reuters
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I’m quitting, no regrets: Flower
Bloemfontein, March 11 “I have no regrets about what I have done at this tournament,” said the 34-year-old batsman. That incident contributed to his team’s six-wicket defeat which has meant tomorrow’s Super Six clash with Kenya has become a must-win situation if Zimbabwe are to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals.
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Ganguly keen to settle scores
Johannesburg, March 11 “I am looking forward to the game. I have been waiting for this match for quite some time now,” said Ganguly, pumped- up by India’s stupendous 183-win against Sri Lanka in their second Super Six match yesterday. “There are a few points to prove,” Ganguly said making his intentions clear that the team was keen to avenge their defeats at the hands of New Zealand on their tour in December-January, preceding the World Cup. Skipper Fleming was at the forefront in plotting India’s debacle on the tour, thrashing them 2-0 in the Tests and 5-2 in one-dayers as well. New Zealand prospered on some tailor-made wickets in home conditions where toss was often the difference between victory and defeat. But Fleming rubbed it on Ganguly’s pride by making sneering remarks about his team and the batting line-up. “If they are the best batsmen in the world they should prove it on any surface... it is just not good flashing your records all the time,” Fleming had said. If that was not stinging enough, Fleming made an even more acidic statement which put the Indians on a boil. “I don’t want India to go down to the World Cup with a happy feeling,” Fleming said. “If the opposition is down you must keep them there.” The two teams have finally come face to face after a taxing, long-winding route to the final Super Six clash on Friday and India, on the strength of their convincing show, will try to do their best to put New Zealand in a spot which would only point it to the exit door. As things stand now, India, already into the semifinals, will go all out to beat New Zealand to allow them no better than a fourth spot in the Super Six stage and pit them against mighty Australians in the semifinals, and possibly in elimination mode. New Zealand qualified for the Super Sixes the hard way after forfeiting four points by refusing to travel to Nairobi. They were then apparently down and out after losing their opening match to Sri Lanka, misreading the pitch and omitting their left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori. Victories over the West Indies and South Africa allowed New Zealand to claw their way back into the tournament and wins over Bangladesh and Canada followed. Still they had to sweat on the result of the tied Sri Lanka-South Africa match before taking third place in group B and making it to the Super Sixes. En route there was the distraction of a nightclub scuffle in Durban, which resulted in fines for Chris Cairns and Brendon McCullum. But Ganguly knows the folly of taking New Zealand lightly.
New Zealand, like India, are never more stronger than when pushed into a corner. Ganguly would do well to pay heed to Steve Waugh’s comments that New Zealanders relish the role of underdogs. New Zealand touted themselves as no-good against the Australians during the 1999 World Cup and then thrashed them the next day in a group game. Adversity draws the Kiwis, famous for their collective spirit, even closer. New Zealand have a team of versatile cricketers who field like demons and regularly swap the batting order to unsettle the rivals. But they might have done themselves a disservice by preparing tailor-made wickets at home and then suddenly discover in this World Cup that their phantom bowlers are no good in these batsmen-friendly conditions. Darryl Tuffey and Jacob Oram were unplayable not because of their line and length against Indians at home but because the sideways movement which the pitches generated. Confronted with batting tracks here, the duo have gone for a lot of runs, including a 300-plus score to South Africa and then the ultimate humiliation of being thrashed for 52 runs in a mere three overs against chirpy Zimbabweans the other day. Indian coach John Wright was pin-point accurate with his assessment when he said the designer pitches in New Zealand would not help their campaign either. “That’s the whole point. Those pitches were not going to help anyone. Neither New Zealand nor India in their preparation for the World Cup,” said Wright, a former New Zealand player. Now New Zealand find themselves up against a batting line-up which is led by the irrepressible Sachin Tendulkar who is threatening to make this World Cup all his own.
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Unusually
wretched day for Lankans Several times during the day today Sri Lanka would have wished they were somewhere else; in the crowded markets of Colombo, in one of the fabulous resorts in Bentota, by the old estates in Kandy, anywhere really. Everybody has bad days occasionally but on the field and in the mind, Sri Lanka had an unusually wretched one. There was nothing familiar about what they did at the Wanderers. It began with the toss, a good one to win, and their inexplicable decision to field first. The numbers suggested that the teams batting second do well and there was the possibility of a thunderstorm. But on a must-win day the security of runs in the bank takes precedence and this was a beautiful wicket to bat first on. Ganguly might have contemplated sending Jayasuriya a thank-you card. Then they ran into the master and the willing pupil. There is something different about Tendulkar’s demeanour at this World Cup. He is hungry and though he speaks little, he conveys much. Ganguly may be captain, and he is leading the team well, but Tendulkar is the compass that the team is following. He took first strike again and had several conversations with Sehwag, whom he rates highly. Sehwag’s impetuosity found an anchor and though he is still some distance away from his best, he attacked judiciously. The missed hundred will hurt Tendulkar briefly, not because it was a landmark missed, but because he let that influence the Indian innings. Still India got 292, 30 more than Sri Lanka would have liked, 20 less than India were on course for. Sri Lanka are three bowlers short at this World Cup and that must be the most worrying aspect. Today Vaas and Murali took five for 80 from 20 overs and saw the other 3 produce one for 199. Then, after losing an early wicket they sent Jehan Mubarak in to face the music. It was an indication that the seniors were abdicating responsibility. It should have been Sangakkara, a fine fighting cricketer experiencing a little dip in fortunes caused by batting too low in the order. And sadly Mahela Jayawardene, the best young batsman in the world, seems to be up against a firing squad every day. Either he must play shots from up the order or not play at all. Crossroads are cruel but they must be encountered. India are motoring at the moment and they are finding different men putting their hands up. That is a captain’s dream and Ganguly would secretly have been delighted by the fact that Srinath asked for an extra over at the end of his first spell. And, whatever India did to get the fielding standards up must be repeated. India are far too inconsistent to be a champion side and surely they must be aware that against England and against Sri Lanka it was an inspired moment in the field that set the tempo. India are looking very sharp and that is not something you could have said about them at the start of the tournament.(TCM)
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Formwise, India are strong title contenders When I watch Scahin Tendulkar bat I find myself wondering how Don Bradman would have coped with the modern game.
The Indian genius was at his imperious best when he delivered a match-winning innings for India in the humiliation of Sri Lanka at the Wanderers Stadium. Would Bradman’s insatiable appetite for scoring runs have been diminished by so much cricket, especially the endless stream of one-day matches? How would he have handled the modern method of individual game plans and field placing? I suppose he experienced some of that with bodyline bowling and field placing and it curtailed his rampant run making. Would Bradman have automatically batted in a helmet and would he have graduated to heavier bats? These are all imponderables, but it is natural to fantasise about such things when watching another blitzkrieg from the modern genius. Make no mistake Tendulkar is a genius! Tendulkar’s combination of deft touches and raw power is virtually unmatched in the game today. Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Brian Lara probably go closest to him. They can certainly match his power though they don’t quite match his exquisite skill and versatility. The versatility is an innate, instinctive skill. It must have been learned somewhere because I doubt that it was taught. Something in Sachin’s environment early in his cricket development allowed for the acquisition of this skill. Bradman developed his similarly exquisite skill on his own, with the help of a golf ball thrown against a tank stand, and played with a stump. Had Bradman learned to bat with the heavy bats in vogue today he may have played very differently? While there is only a difference of 6 or 7 pounds between the bats used by Bradman and Tendulkar, the extra weight can make a difference in balance and style. Bradman controlled the bat with his top hand. This would have been more difficult with the heavier bat. In place of the glides, glances, pulls and cuts that he favoured, all along the ground of course, we may have seen more of the modern bludgeoning. Bradman used the laws of physics better than anyone else, then or now. He used the energy created by the bowler and redirected the ball with brilliant footwork and incredible wrist work. Tendulkar goes closest to emulating him, but has the added advantage — delivered by the heavier modern bat — of being able to block the ball back past the faster bowlers more quickly than it was delivered. Tendulkar’s innings of 97 was as intimidating to most of the Sri Lankan bowlers, as it was for the Pakistanis at Centurion Park. Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan were the only Sri Lankan bowlers who seemed capable of withstanding the Tendulkar-led tornado that comprehensively blew them away. The Indian bowlers, led by Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra then delivered the knockout blow which may have destroyed Sri Lanka’s World Cup hopes. Just maybe! Sri Lanka bounced back from their debacle against Kenya earlier in the tournament so they may still recover to reach the finals. The problem is, the equation is now out of their hands, as it will also rely on other results. I am not sure some of the bowlers will ever recover from the brutality of the assault. India has made a remarkable recovery from the tour of New Zealand and the mauling by Australia on February 15. Confidence is a remarkable thing and it is difficult to play well without it. The difference in the team now is noticeable in all aspects of their cricket, not least of all in the field. The intensity of commitment and quality of fielding has risen commensurate with the improved results. In this form India can seriously challenge for the title. It will need the same level of commitment shown since the loss to Australia and it will need a team effort. Tendulkar has shown them the way out of the gloom that had descended on the team, and their supporters, over the poor form leading into the World Cup. Even the best of players will have bad days or will make mistakes, so the fact that Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh have shown some form is an excellent sign for India. Javagal Srinath has also bounced back to top form and is enjoying the support of Khan and Nehra and the infusion of youth to the fielding side is paying off. It will now require everyone in the squad to apply themselves to the basics in training and in matches. The other thing is they need to enjoy what they are doing and enjoy each other’s success. The element of fun and a strong team spirit cannot be underestimated in forging a successful team. Ganguly and John Wright will be well aware of the need to keep this spirit bubbling along for the rest of this campaign.
PTI
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Tendulkar’s steady march towards another award
Johannesburg, March 11 Tendulkar could not claim yesterday the three points that the man-of-the-match carries as it went to paceman Javagal Srinath for his four-wicket burst in the first spell but his 97 was still valuable enough to earn him two points and widen the gap vis-a-vis Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas. Tendulkar now has 12 points from India’s eight games in the competition with three man-of-the-match awards and three other points picked from two games. Vaas has eight points to his credit — six for claiming two man-of-the-match awards and two for his role in the record breaking destruction of Canada. Tendulkar’s run tally of 571 in the competition includes scores of 52, 36, 81, 152, 52, 98, 5 and 97 at an average of 71.37 and also gives him the distinction of scoring more runs than any batsman in a particular edition of a World Cup. In the process, Tendulkar improved upon his own 523 logged during the 1996 World Cup in the subcontinent. His overall tally of 1630 World Cup runs is also way ahead of the next best of 1081 by Javed Miandad of Pakistan, as well as his four centuries in the World Cup are only equalled by Mark Waugh of Australia. Tendulkar’s man-of-the-match awards in this competition have come against Zimbabwe, Namibia and Pakistan while Vaas was man of the match against Bangladesh, taking a hat-trick in the first three balls of the innings, and the West Indies. Tendulkar also picked a point for his half century against Holland, as well as two from India’s game against Sri Lanka yesterday. Vaas began the tournament brilliantly claiming 16 wickets in the first five league games before going wicketless in the match against South Africa and then in the first Super Six game against Australia. He was the sole saving grace for Sri Lanka in their 183-run defeat to India. Behind Vaas there are three players tied on six points — Pakistan’s Wasim Akram, England’s James Anderson and John Davison of Canada. All three will play no further part in the tournament. Australia is the team in form and have won all their seven games in the competition but surprisingly, no player has gone on to win more than one man-of-the-match award. Six of their players — Andrew Symonds, Jason Gillespie, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Andrew Bichel and Ricky Ponting have been man of the match in successive contests except for one game where Andy Blignaut of Zimbabwe earned the honour for his half century from just 28 balls with eight fours and two sixes. The player of the tournament award is based on the cumulative man of the match results awarded by the ICC match referee. After every game the ICC match referee selects the top three players. Besides a gold watch worth 12,000 rand (approx Rs 65,000), the man-of-the-match receives three points towards the player of the tournament award. The second best player on the day receives two points and the third best gets one point. If everything goes according to script, Tendulkar will make a pretty picture in accepting the award from Sir Garfield Sobers at the end of the competition. Man of the tournament standings: Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) 10, Chaminda Vaas (SL) 8, Wasim Akram (Pak) 6, James Anderson (Eng) 6, John Davison (Can) 6, Marvan Atapattu (SL) 5, Andy Blignaut (Zim) 5, Vasbert Drakes (WI) 5, Herschelle Gibbs (SA) 5, Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) 5, Lance Klusener (SA) 5, Tim de Leede (Hol) 4, Sourav Ganguly (Ind) 4, Jason Gillespie (Aus) 4, Ramnaresh Sarwan (WI) 4, Heath Streak (Zim) 4, Scott Styris (NZ) 4.
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‘Sachin reduces Lanka to ashes’ Colombo, March 11 “Indians roast Lankan lame ducks,” screamed the banner headline in ‘Daily Mirror’ newspaper while ‘Island’ wrote “Tendulkar fireworks reduces Sri Lanka to ashes.” The state-run ‘Daily News’ printed the most prophetic comments of all papers. In a commentary, it said Sri Lanka, who won the coveted trophy in 1996, did not deserve a place in the Super Sixes. “Let’s face it. Do we deserve it. From me it is no,” said columnist Elmo Rodrigopulle. “We say this because our victories, down the line other than dumping of Bangladesh and Canada have not been convincing and authoritative.” He said the team given to Jayasuriya was also not balanced. Meanwhile, angry fans called up radio and television stations to register their disppointment and charged that Sri Lanka had sold the match to India. PTI
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‘Sachin
and the rest’
Bloemfontein, March 11 “But people watch him bat and they think all of us should play as well as he does. It doesn’t quite work like that.” Flower had been asked why he, as one of the game’s premier batsmen, had not cashed in against the weaker teams in the World Cup. Flower scored 39 against Namibia and 71 against the Netherlands. Zimbabwe will have their last opportunity against a minor side when they play Kenya in Bloemfontein on Wednesday. Shouldn’t Flower be looking to score a century against his African cousins? “I agree. All of our batsmen should aim to score hundreds against them,” Flower said. Flower’s World Cup career record could also do with the boost of a century tomorrow.
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Srinath proves his worth Johannesburg, March 11 And when the veteran seamer modestly said yesterday he did not know what the future had in store for him after his World Cup, Ganguly chipped in to answer on his behalf. “I would like to sit down and assess,” Srinath said when asked whether he wanted to continue playing after the World Cup. But Ganguly cut him short, not that Srinath minded, to say, “He has not made any plans,” thereby hinting he wanted his uncomplaining and unassuming pace spearhead to continue pitching in with match-winning efforts as he did in the Super Six match against Sri Lanka yesterday. Srinath earned the man-of-the-match award for his four for 35 which saw Sri Lanka crash to their worst ever 183-run defeat to India. The right-arm medium fast bowler, who is a strict vegetarian, must have been amused by the array of ducks on the scoreboard. Three of his victims — Marvan Atapattu, Jehan Mubarak and Aravinda de Silva — were out for ducks while the fourth and perhaps the most prized of them all Sanath Jayasuriya managed 12. Srinath had said last year he would no longer play Tests as he wanted to concentrate on one-dayers in the lead-up to the World Cup. But Srinath was snubbed by selectors who dropped him from the one-day side and a disappointed Srinath said he would retire from all cricket. It was only when Ganguly intervened and persuaded him to review his decision before India’s tour to England, that he relented and returned midway through the Champions Trophy. Srinath said the success in this World Cup could be because he was relying more on seam. “I don’t know about bowling fast but I am trying to keep my line and length. This is my last World Cup. It is the reality and I want to make sure that I don’t make any more mistakes,” he said. PTI
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13TH
MAN JOHANNESBURG: India’s remarkable win over Sri Lanka has left most speechless. Coach Dav Whatmore is scathing in his reaction and so is former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga, who believes Sri Lankans are themselves to blame for the debacle. “They have no one but themselves to blame. They have been defensive in their approach from the start. How would you otherwise explain winning the toss and electing to field against the likes of Canada ? They needed to have as much batting practice as possible because batting alone is Sri Lanka’s main strength. What has happened now is that batsmen are struggling to put together a good score and men like Mahela Jayawardene have missed out on a good opportunity to have some runs against a weaker opposition. Sri Lanka are paying the price of their own follies,” said still the portly former Lankan captain who led his team to title triumph in 1996 World Cup. Javagal Srinath, meanwhile, is still upset despite his stupendous bowling performance which flattened Lankans for 109. Srinath is rueful he missed out on a five-wicket haul and couldn’t pick a single wicket in his second spell of three overs. Srinath couldn’t help but blame himself as he failed to get past the defence of Muthiah Muralitharan even as the latter was exposing his stump and making cross-batted contacts. Srinath kept bowling his slower stuff when a quickish well-directed delivery would have done the trick. Never mind, Srinath was still India’s man of the hour on Monday. Yuvraj Singh suffered a rare failure when he came and departed to Chaminda Vaas for five runs. Everyone was looking forward to Yuvraj’s contest with Muralitharan as he has often come up short against the wily off-spinner. Yuvraj was waiting to put his father Yograj Singh’s words to practice who wanted him to stay in crease against Murali rather than jump out in aggression. “You carry enough punch to hit powerful strokes against Murali even if you don’t leave the crease,” was Yograj’s sane advice and Yuvraj had paid the heed. Only, the contest didn’t materialise. There has been a bit of confusion over Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal for 97 against Aravinda de Silva. Some thought he hadn’t hit the ball at all and the ball had gone off his arm-guard. Even Tendulkar stayed put in his crease in the hope umpire Simon Taufel would declare otherwise. But he was ruled out and thousands of spectators in the stands kept wondering if it was a fair decision. But fair decision it was, as it was confirmed by captain Saurav Ganguly late in night. Ganguly, batting at the non-striker’s end, could clear see the ball hit the edge of the vertical bat and then slide on to his arm-guard on way to wicketkeeper Kumara Sangakkara. India now await the contest against New Zealand but emotion alone wouldn’t carry the day. As Stephen Fleming’s men showed in the game against Australia at Port Elizabeth, they could be almost impossible to breach in the field. India boasts of a strong batting line up but they haven’t come up against a bowling line-up as deadly as New Zealand, with the possible exception of Australia. Tendulkar vs Bond-the dye is truly cast.
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Whatmore
predicts India-Aussie final
Johannesburg, March 11 “India is the in-form team. They are playing very well at the moment. Their confidence is up,” Whatmore said as Sri Lanka were left licking the wounds of a sound 183-run thrashing against India in the Super Six match yesterday. Whatmore, a former Australian Test cricketer, said both India and Australia were at the top at the moment and almost certain to make it to the title clash. “At the moment you have to say it is India and Australia. They are both good..... one hopes they don’t meet each other in the
semifinals,” he said. But Whatmore was disappointed with the way his team meekly surrendered to India without even a semblance of fight. “It is extremely disappointing. We thought we had a little bit of fight in the previous game against Australia which we were hoping to really bring to this game. But we were not just in the same park today,” Whatmore said. The Sri Lankan coach said though the team could still make it to the semifinals he was not happy with the way they had gone about their task. “Mathematically, yes the team can make the
semifinals, but it is not the best way to do it. We are not playing well at all,” said
Whatmore, who guided the team to its only World Cup triumph in 1996. Sri Lanka went into the match yesterday with captain Sanath Jayasuriya half-fit after his left-arm was heavily bruised by a Brett Lee delivery in their 96-run defeat against Australia last week. On Sri Lanka’s failure to pick themselves after their stunning loss to Kenya in the group stages, Whatmore said there is little a coach can do when a team performs poorly even though he, along with the other supporting staff, was willing to take the responsibility. “The players have got themselves into it, now they must get themselves out. We can assist as well as we can. But they know ultimately you win or lose, do well or don’t do well, by what happens in the middle. “I as a coach have a responsibility. But the ones who get the pat on the back or kicks are players out there in the middle,” the caoch said. Whatmore said he was drawing comfort from the fact his side has managed to come out of an absolute disaster not very long ago. “We were all out for 62 against Australia ‘A’ in Adelaide. But three or four days later, against a very good opposition in Australia, we were able to score 340 and then go out to win. “That is what is the nature of this beast (the Sri Lankan team). That is what we really are capable of,” he said.
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Anwar to hang boots?
Islamabad, March 11 “I have played enough cricket and now it’s time to leave,” the 34-year-old left-hander said. “It’s not good when people throw you out. “I will formally announce my retirement this week, after speaking with my family,” Anwar told a website. Pakistan’s World Cup debacle has already led to
coach Richard Pybus and vice-captain Inzamam-ul Haq stepping down from their posts. Anwar’s decision may have been prompted by the common feeling among fans and critics that the seniors in the team failed to fire which put pressure on the younger lot and resulted in Pakistan making an exit from the World Cup after the league round itself. Anwar, who holds the record for the highest score in one-day international cricket — 194 against India — returned home on Thursday after Pakistan’s failed World Cup campaign that included a defeat at the hands of arch-rivals India. “I’m really contented because whatever I wanted from cricket I have achieved. We’ve been a tough unit and have won matches everywhere home and away,” said Anwar, who has had 14 years of top international cricket. Anwar said he was honoured to have played under Imran Khan’s captaincy in the early part of his career and with one-day cricket’s two most successful bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, the current captain of Pakistan. Saeed made his international debut in a one-day match in January 1989 against the mighty West Indies, scoring three before being dismissed by fast bowler Malcolm Marshall. Overall, Saeed is the sixth-most prolific one-day batsmen with 8,823 runs at an average of 39.21 in 247 internationals. In Tests, Anwar amassed 4,052 runs at 45.52, including 11 centuries. Saeed, who came into the World Cup without top-level cricket for five months, scored 101, his 20th one-day century, in the match against India. He scored an unbeaten 40 in a rained out game against Zimbabwe on Tuesday in what could be his final match. “I scored a hundred in my last Test against Bangladesh and I was hoping it would keep raining against Zimbabwe so I would then have scored a century in my last one-day international also,” Anwar said in a lighter vein but added “at least I was not out”. The aggressive batsman said he had enjoyed playing against India and Australia the most. But now Anwar said he wanted to keep himself away from the game. “I don’t want to be involved in cricket,” he said. “I’ve seen people in Pakistan who are hanging around in cricket and not having a good life.” Anwar, who became deeply religious and sported a beard ever since his daughter died a couple of years ago, admitted that his priorities in life had changed over the last couple of years. “I now want to live a good religious life,” he said.
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Samarveer
Sahi Golf from Mar 13 Chandigarh, March 11 |
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Port Elizabeth, March 11
In video: India enters
the World Cup semifinals with a comprehensive 183-run win over
Sri Lanka in Johannesburg on Monday ( March 10). (
The rumblings in Pakistan cricket has now led to veteran opener Saeed Anwar deciding to hang his boots saying he wanted to go out gracefully rather than being “thrown” out by someone else.