JOIN USIndian rule ends with a whimper
There was no encore of Ahmedabad where India had knocked out Australia in the quarterfinal on their way to winning the 2011 World Cup. It was rather akin to revisiting the ghosts of Johannesburg when Ricky Ponting’s all-conquering team had dashed a billion dreams in a ruthless display of cricket in the 2003 final.
Thursday’s semifinal defeat wasn’t as lopsided as the 2003 final loss but it won’t be any less painful. Sydney was supposed to be a home away from home for India. And it was so far as the support was concerned with the Indian fans painting the Sydney Cricket Ground blue. But a depressingly familiar tale unfolded in the middle. All through the summer Australia had been one impregnable force for India and it was no different when the hosts turned in another professional performance at the SCG to end India’s seven-match winning spree.
Having posted a mammoth 328/7 after opting to bat first, Australia dismissed the defending champions for 233 in 46.5 overs to register a 95-run win and set up a maiden trans-Tasman final against New Zealand to be played in Melbourne on Sunday. India did get off to a promising start with Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, both reprieved early in their innings, adding 76 in 78 balls for the opening stand. But once Dhawan was dismissed holing out in the deep, the Australian bowlers were all over India like a bad rash.
India’s biggest hope Virat Kohli was diffident and was out the moment he decided to get on top of Mitchell Johnson. The left-arm quick then cleaned up Rohit and the Indian chase had been nipped in the bud. So disappointed the Indian supporters were the subsequent boundaries met with no more than a token clap. MS Dhoni (65, 65b, 3x4, 2x6) was carrying their unrealistic hopes but even the Indian captain would have known he was fighting a losing battle.
It was a good toss to win for Australia and despite losing David Warner cheaply, they thrived on Steven Smith’s authoritative hundred (105, 93b, 11x4, 2x6). While man of the match Smith motored away to his fourth ODI hundred, Aaron Finch (81, 116b, 7x4, 1x6) brought up his first 25-plus score in six matches in a laboured fashion as Australia amassed the highest total in a World Cup semifinal.
Indian attack, especially the pacers, had been nothing less than extraordinary in the preceding seven matches. They had bowled out all their opponents in this event and pacers had accounted for 42 of the 70 wickets India had taken. On this day, however, the Indian pace triumvirate of Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav (4/72) and Mohit Sharma unravelled on a pitch that had runs written all over it. Before this match, Shami had an economy rate of 4.43 runs per over while Yadav and Mohit 4.5 each for the tournament but on this day they went for 6.8, 8 and 7.50 respectively.
Yadav did eject the dangerous Warner early but that was the only success India were going to taste for the next 31 overs when Smith and Finch held sway over the Indian attack with contrasting innings. While Finch was understandably cautious given his run of low scores, Smith was batting in a manner as though he had some unfinished business with India whom he had tormented with 769 runs in four Tests.
Throughout the tournament, Indian pacers had used the bouncer with great success but against Smith they didn’t seem to have any effect. More crucially, the Indian pacers, save Yadav to some extent, couldn’t quite manage to get the ball to rise to batsmen’s head. Smith will keep pulling such deliveries whole day as he showed in one over off Yadav, carting the pacemen for four fours in five balls.
Smith did show some restraint against spinners but he gave no such allowance to the three fast bowlers, plundering 66 off 58 balls faced off them. The right-hander batted with such urgency and purpose that he almost carried Finch along with him. And it wasn’t long before Finch too found his aggressive touch, a slapped six off Mohit over point being the standout shot. The only time India came close to taking a wicket during this association worth 182 was when Dhoni decided to review an lbw shout against Finch who won a marginal decision.
After forging the second highest partnership for any wicket in a World Cup semifinal, Smith departed but Australia still looked good for a total of 350-360, especially with Glenn Maxwell cutting loose. Ashwin, however, pegged back the innings foxing the right-hander. Finch followed him soon as did Michael Clarke. Despite a 12-ball-21 by James Faulkner and a 9-ball-27 by Mitchell Johnson towards the end, India had pulled things back to restrict Australia to what appeared to be a manageable total. But the score board pressure, for once, did them in.