WORLD CUP FINAL Thread

[MrsTarrant]

I was watching the toss and got most upset when Ricky lost it until I heard the goose say they will field and I nearly fell off my seat! LMAO putting Australia in to bat in the WC final what a bloody joke THANK YOU INDIA! Australia surely made them pay for that mistake! What a flying start from Gilly and Haydos and then that partnership from Ponting and Martyn just MAGICAL! I honestly have to say that knock from Ponting was just the most amazing thing I have ever seen! GO AUSTRALIA!

[Donny]

PONTING, MARTYN MASSACRE INDIAN BOWLING

from Cricinfo.

What Gilchrist and Hayden did, Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn could do better on the day. The pair did all they could to bat India out of the game with a belligerent 234-run partnership in 30.1 overs that powered Australia to a mammoth 359/2, the highest-ever score in a World Cup final. The Indian bowling was well short of even being tidy - they conceded as many as 37 extras - and paid the price. The batsmen now have to produce the performance of a life time if they intend to even get close to the target.

At the half-way mark, Australia were merely in a strong position at 155/2. Two new batsmen were at the crease and Ganguly looked to his slow men to apply the pressure. In a move that some people would read as an admission of the error the Indian think-tank had made in leaving out Anil Kumble, Ganguly eked out 15 overs of spin from Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Dinesh Mongia and Yuvraj Singh.

Under no pressure whatsoever after the start they were given, the stylish duo of Martyn and Ponting took their time to get well set. Milking the bowling was the order of the day and this was hardly a difficult task.

India’s part-time bowlers were not up to the task of bowling to a pair of well-set, high-class batsmen. The late cuts slid perfectly into the gaps and monstrous pulls gave the men on the leg side no chance at all. And when Ponting reached his half-century off 74 balls, the flood gates burst open.

Australia’s captain showed the world exactly what he was capable of perpetrating on hapless bowlers beginning with consecutive sixes off Harbhajan Singh. Having brought the spinner back on to try and wrest the initiative back, Ganguly could only watch in despair, arms akimbo as balls sailed over midwicket and several rows back.

While Ponting bludgeoned, Martyn seemed to be happy accumulating runs by finding gaps that you did not know existed. Caressing and coaxing the ball to the fence rather than attempting to hit the cover off it, Martyn brought up his half-century in just 46 balls.

With India on the mat and a strong batting line-up to follow, either of these batsmen could have gone all out for glory and perished to a loose stroke. But that simply does not seem to be part of the Australian way.

Ganguly turned to his pacemen once more, out of desperation rather than inspiration and this suited Ponting just fine.

A Nehra slower ball was clattered into the stands at square leg and Zaheer Khan’s attempted yorker was sent on its way for a six over midwicket with a most remarkable short-arm jab.

The rousing applause that Ponting got when he reached his 13th ODI century in the 46th over, was well deserved. A captain’s innings if there ever was one, on the biggest stage one-day cricket can throw up, saw Australia post a mammoth total. Incredibly, Ponting’s ton came off just 103 balls, and before you reach for your calculators, this means that his second 50 runs came off just 29 balls.

When the last ball was delivered, the much-vaunted Indian batting line-up had the toughest task of their lives staring them in the face. Australia, without so much as turning to half their batsmen, chalked up a mammoth 359/2.

Martyn, while not playing the breathtaking shots that Ponting essayed, scored at a fast clip while every now and then unveiling the kind of delicate artistry that would have classicists purring with delight. A back foot cover drive that sailed over the ropes showed a sense of timing that few in the world of cricket can match. With 88 off just 84 balls in a World Cup final, Martyn can be well pleased with his effort.

On the day however, Martyn was left in the shade by Ponting. Playing the innings of his life, the Australian captain notched up 140 (121 balls, 4 fours, 8 sixes). Really, there’s not much more a batsman can do. On the back of this innings, Australia reached a cricketing Mount Everest of 359/2 from their 50 overs.

India now attempt the climb, but will look more to the rain Gods than the batting Gods to save the day

[CQ]

62/3 12.2

[CQ]

theyre shitting emselves cos they think it MITE rain and if it does b4 25 overs they have to play again 2moro, lol NOTHING from today counts!!!

pfft as if we wouldnt win

[CQ]

OMG ITS RAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOO

[CQ]

tho they havent stopped the game yet thank christ

[CQ]

well they have now. GRRR

[CQ]

eh the covers are coming off i think

[MrsTarrant]

Yeah covers are coming off thank god.

[Donny]

AUSTRALIA WIN THE WORLD CUP !! CONGRATULATIONS !!!

After a brave effort from Virenda Sehwag (82 from 81), Australia were just too strong. Only Dravid kept some hope alive with 47 from 57.

Symonds took 2/7, Lee 2/31 and McGrath 3/52.

Ricky Ponting was named Player of the Final. Sachin Tendulkar won the Player of the Series award.

[MrsTarrant]

WHAT A WIN! WHAT A FANTASTIC WORLD CUP IT HAS BEEN! GO AUSTRALIA! I LOVE THESE GUYS! I AM CRYING TEARS OF JOY!

[Pies Premiers 2003]

CONGRATS TO THE AUSSIES!!!

Great win.....I'm sooooooo glad they batted first....

India's bowling was a joke a was dealt with accordingly (so many full tosses... )....great innings from ponting seems he saved his best till last......

Wonder what the odds would have been that Hayden would not make a ton in the entire torn.

NOW FOR THE THREE PEAT......

[Kristin5]

The Aussies were BRILLIANT! Helped by India's woeful decision to field first!

Hayden and Gilly got the Aussies off to a fantastic start - how was that first over, 15 runs including 8 extras!!! hehehe And the run rate was 8 an over for the first 6 overs or something - no better time for it than the final of the World Cup!

All our batsmen were great, and then when we got Tendulkar out in the first over, I knew their time was up and Australia had wrapped up their 3rd World Cup. When McGrath caught it, I said if Stevie was out there, he'd be saying to him "You've just caught the World Cup!"

[JLC]

It wasn't so much the decision to bat first, it was more to the fact that the bowlers let Ganguly down. There was actually movement in the pitch early. However they bowled to short or bowled full tosses or down leg side etc. If you bowl crap it doesnt matter what type of pitch you are on you will get smacked.

Ganguly was quite calm considering the amount of wides, full tosses and other garbage that was being bowled.

I think the Indian bowlers would like to have their time again. I guess the pressure got to them.

jlc

[Kristin5]

I couldn't get over the number of full tosses bowled - all treated with the contempt they deserved too and disposed of over the boundary for 6!

Someone said to me last night about the field placements and that maybe the Indians got it wrong and I said it didn't matter where the fieldsmen were, cos Ponting just went right over top of em!