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*Official* Semis and Final Thread
- Thread starter Neil Pickup
- Start date
Neil Pickup
Cricket Web Moderator
My take on this so far:
Ganguly's insertion has shades of Nasser putting Australia in on the first day of the Ashes. I think that it was based upon fear of Australia ripping the heart out of the top order (as in the Group match).
The pressure then brought to bear upon Zaheer ended up being much, much too much for him to stand, and the first over was a disaster which gave the initiative straight to the Aussies. From then on it's been glorious strokeplay, with one of the best. I can't understand why Ganguly didn't bowl himself - self-preservation maybe? He tried everyone else bar Kaif...
I hope that Zaheer's confidence isn't totally shot to pieces by this. I cannot see an India win from anywhere here - it would be the greatest ODI run-chase of all time. Full stop. Tendulkar needs a massive ton. Their only realistic hope is rain.
2/359 is absolutely huge, an Australian record for most sixes in an innings (8 by Ponting), most sixes in a WC innings, biggest score in a WC final, Australian record for highest ODI total, fifth highest ODI total, most expensive WC final bowling figures (Srinath's 0/87), probably he best ODI innings of all time. Partnership (234*) beats Gilchrist and Ponting's 225 against us at Melbourne in the VB for the best Aussie partnership...
There's more.
Sehwag/Tendulkar/Ganguly etc will have to go for all of their shots very, very early - 7.20 an over required - I reckon the Aussies will put a lot of slips/gullies in and go for wickets. And get them.
Ganguly's insertion has shades of Nasser putting Australia in on the first day of the Ashes. I think that it was based upon fear of Australia ripping the heart out of the top order (as in the Group match).
The pressure then brought to bear upon Zaheer ended up being much, much too much for him to stand, and the first over was a disaster which gave the initiative straight to the Aussies. From then on it's been glorious strokeplay, with one of the best. I can't understand why Ganguly didn't bowl himself - self-preservation maybe? He tried everyone else bar Kaif...
I hope that Zaheer's confidence isn't totally shot to pieces by this. I cannot see an India win from anywhere here - it would be the greatest ODI run-chase of all time. Full stop. Tendulkar needs a massive ton. Their only realistic hope is rain.
2/359 is absolutely huge, an Australian record for most sixes in an innings (8 by Ponting), most sixes in a WC innings, biggest score in a WC final, Australian record for highest ODI total, fifth highest ODI total, most expensive WC final bowling figures (Srinath's 0/87), probably he best ODI innings of all time. Partnership (234*) beats Gilchrist and Ponting's 225 against us at Melbourne in the VB for the best Aussie partnership...
There's more.
Sehwag/Tendulkar/Ganguly etc will have to go for all of their shots very, very early - 7.20 an over required - I reckon the Aussies will put a lot of slips/gullies in and go for wickets. And get them.
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Tim
Well-known member
Supposedly Ganguly is in form, but all his 4 hundreds have come against the minnow teams, he has averages around 20..it might be even less against the better nations.
I would not be surprised if Ganguly drops down the order & sends Rahul Dravid up to cop the heat of Brett Lee & Glenn McGrath.
I would not be surprised if Ganguly drops down the order & sends Rahul Dravid up to cop the heat of Brett Lee & Glenn McGrath.
luckyeddie
Cricket Web Staff Member
well, that was pretty boring.
Mr Mxyzptlk
Well-known member
Hmmm..I notice Ganguly ended up using 8 bowlers and not one of them was himself. For a captain who can bowl, he was quite timid w.r.t. putting himself up as a 'sacrificial lamb'...
Tim
Well-known member
if Brett Lee fires in a yorker here, I think Sehwag is going to lose his off-stump, huge movement & pace.
Infact I think Shane Bond got Sehwag a couple of times early by bowling yorker length with pace when India were here in NZ.
Ganguly almost had a brainmelt against McGrath.
Infact I think Shane Bond got Sehwag a couple of times early by bowling yorker length with pace when India were here in NZ.
Ganguly almost had a brainmelt against McGrath.
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aussie_beater
Well-known member
Congrats to the Australian team for winning their third world cup... Cheers !!
Absolute amateurish performance from the Indian bowlers specially Srinath and Zaheer which gave the Aussies the room to build the winning platform.It was hard to imagine that this was the bowling attack which was the most potent in the tournament after the Aussies.I thought Srinath was brain dead, bowling those full tosses at the death and also Zaheer spraying all over.Nehra maintained a good line and length but it was always gonna be hard after the Aussie openers had hit the opening bowlers with such abandon and the field had to be made a little defensive.
India batted positively and scored quickly but after Sehwag's run-out it was all over.Sachin's failure was a disappointment but the pressure on his shoulders was huge and he had to hit out in those initial overs and there was not other way out.
Ganguly's decision to bowl first is going to come under some scrutiny, but I felt that he took the right decision given the early juice in the wicket and with a seam attack that had performed creditably in the tournament thus far, he could bank on them to deliver some early wickets but it was not to be as the opening bowlers just were too nervous for the occasion and failed to rise up and perform.
Absolute amateurish performance from the Indian bowlers specially Srinath and Zaheer which gave the Aussies the room to build the winning platform.It was hard to imagine that this was the bowling attack which was the most potent in the tournament after the Aussies.I thought Srinath was brain dead, bowling those full tosses at the death and also Zaheer spraying all over.Nehra maintained a good line and length but it was always gonna be hard after the Aussie openers had hit the opening bowlers with such abandon and the field had to be made a little defensive.
India batted positively and scored quickly but after Sehwag's run-out it was all over.Sachin's failure was a disappointment but the pressure on his shoulders was huge and he had to hit out in those initial overs and there was not other way out.
Ganguly's decision to bowl first is going to come under some scrutiny, but I felt that he took the right decision given the early juice in the wicket and with a seam attack that had performed creditably in the tournament thus far, he could bank on them to deliver some early wickets but it was not to be as the opening bowlers just were too nervous for the occasion and failed to rise up and perform.
Anil
Well-known member
Well....that's that.....guess it was a nice dream while it lasted....
Hats off to the Aussies and Ponting! They played like champions and won like champions. The Indian bowling which had propped up the team and carried them through most of the tournament was in total disarray as the Aussie top order ripped into them and tore them apart. The match was over as a contest maybe in the first 5 overs itself. Chasing 360 against this attack is next to impossible in the best of circumstances. I don't blame the batting for disintegrating the way they did.
The Indians were clearly the second best team in the tournament and lost to one of the greatest teams of all time. No shame in that. That they made the final, coming into the tourney after the demoralising NZ tour is a remarkable achievement and should be recognised as such. I hope stupid and malicious "fans" don't start the effigy burning and stone throwing all over again back in India.
Hats off to the Aussies and Ponting! They played like champions and won like champions. The Indian bowling which had propped up the team and carried them through most of the tournament was in total disarray as the Aussie top order ripped into them and tore them apart. The match was over as a contest maybe in the first 5 overs itself. Chasing 360 against this attack is next to impossible in the best of circumstances. I don't blame the batting for disintegrating the way they did.
The Indians were clearly the second best team in the tournament and lost to one of the greatest teams of all time. No shame in that. That they made the final, coming into the tourney after the demoralising NZ tour is a remarkable achievement and should be recognised as such. I hope stupid and malicious "fans" don't start the effigy burning and stone throwing all over again back in India.
krkode
Well-known member
Like Botham (?) said, "It wasn't a bad decision to bowl first. The bowlers just let him down."
And I tend to agree. Although, I do think India could have done better batting first (like they always do), I also think it was a rather unimpressive bowling show from the Indians, so first or second, there's no excuse for that kind of bowling except unprecedented amounts of pressure and some excellent batting.
So there, I do wish they had batted first, but oh well...It's over...
And I tend to agree. Although, I do think India could have done better batting first (like they always do), I also think it was a rather unimpressive bowling show from the Indians, so first or second, there's no excuse for that kind of bowling except unprecedented amounts of pressure and some excellent batting.
So there, I do wish they had batted first, but oh well...It's over...
Gotchya
Well-known member
Again the Australians show their class. I wonder while I watch them play......they play not one but two levels above their oppositions. Here we are, thinking about the final of the World Cup. Pressure match, huge game, something that every team and Australia especially have been building upto, we expect to see some horn locking cricket. Yet every player in the Aussie outfit are so unfazed of all of it. Playing dismissive cricket, I haven't seen a team dominate and disregard the oppoistion so emphatically on a consistent run. I mean, really if you consider this, the World CUp is supposed to be a challenging tournament, you saw the Aussies trudge over every one. The law of averages looks like a fallacy if you happened to watch this tournament.
Ponting played the best I have seen him play. Untiring and relentless, the shots he played were unbelievable. Gilchrist and Hayden not to beundermned nor the superb knock Martyn played. All top four scored 359. In a world cup final :O
Anyway, I think Zaheer and Srinath were :rolleyes: well, dustbin stuff. Sure the top order was on fire but I could have helped myself better than they did. Who advised them to pitch the ball in the wrong half of the pitch ? Zaheer can be forgiven, the moment would have gotten the better of him, but THATS exactly what Srinath is there for, calm nerves and show the way. I think Ganguly missed a trick by giving the first over to Zaheer, but if Srinath was going to bowl the way he did, dont care anyway.
I didn't honestly believe that India were going to hunt down this total, with Tendulkar going on ball 5, they were out of contention to challenge it. Sehwag's effort was comendable though, giving up is not the call of the day.
With the Aussies, its not a matter of conquering, its a matter of challenging them.....yet ! Welldone Australia and welldone RIcky Ponting. To the team thats perhaps better than the Windies of the 70's ?!!
Ponting played the best I have seen him play. Untiring and relentless, the shots he played were unbelievable. Gilchrist and Hayden not to beundermned nor the superb knock Martyn played. All top four scored 359. In a world cup final :O
Anyway, I think Zaheer and Srinath were :rolleyes: well, dustbin stuff. Sure the top order was on fire but I could have helped myself better than they did. Who advised them to pitch the ball in the wrong half of the pitch ? Zaheer can be forgiven, the moment would have gotten the better of him, but THATS exactly what Srinath is there for, calm nerves and show the way. I think Ganguly missed a trick by giving the first over to Zaheer, but if Srinath was going to bowl the way he did, dont care anyway.
I didn't honestly believe that India were going to hunt down this total, with Tendulkar going on ball 5, they were out of contention to challenge it. Sehwag's effort was comendable though, giving up is not the call of the day.
With the Aussies, its not a matter of conquering, its a matter of challenging them.....yet ! Welldone Australia and welldone RIcky Ponting. To the team thats perhaps better than the Windies of the 70's ?!!