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InDepth headlines national business sports cricket regional entertainment technology world travel autos health | in-depth coverage > Cricket World Cup 2003 > Indian dreams shattered, Australia win the World Cup 22.20 IST 23rd Mar 2003 By Manish Kumar 
Dreams of more than a 100 million Indians were shattered as their team failed to keep its date with destiny faltering at the final hurdle and losing the World Cup final to Australia by 125 runs at The Wanderers in Johannesburg on March 23.Chasing the biggest victory target ever in a World Cup final of 360 runs, India were bowled out for 234 runs in 39.2 overs. The Indian batting debacle started as early in the first over, when Sachin Tendulkar got out. Sachin tried to hook the fifth ball by Glenn McGrath over square leg, instead got an edge and the ball scooped up in the air for McGrath to take an easy catch. Sachin scored four runs. Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly scored 24 runs before getting out. Trying to pull a short ball off Brett Lee, Ganguly gave a simple catch to Darren Lehmann at mid-on. Mohammad Kaif failed to trouble the scorers falling to McGrath caught by wicket keeper Adam Gilchrist for a duck. From 59/3, Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid took their team’s total to 147. Sehwag was particularly severe on the bowlers scoring 82 runs off 81 balls with ten fours and three sixes. He was run out by a brilliant direct hit by Lehmann from mid-off. Dravid chipped in with 47 runs before edging a Andy Bichel delivery onto his stumps. Out of the seven specialist Indian batsmen, not one rose to the occasion to play a match-winning knock, a knock like Australian Ricky Ponting played in the first session, when Ganguly won the toss and put the Aussies in to bat. Ganguly counted on his seamers to get the early breakthroughs. But his trust was misplaced as the Indian fast bowlers were all over the place and Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden raced to 105 runs in just 14 overs. Gilchrist brought up his fifty in forty balls with seven fours and a six. Gilchrist scored 57 runs before giving Sehwag an easy catch at deep mid-wicket off Harbhajan Singh. Harbhajan struck again when he had Hayden caught behind by Dravid for 37. But those were the only two wickets that Australia lost as Ponting and Damien Martyn put up an unbeaten record 234-run partnership for the third wicket. Ponting and Martyn brought up their 200-run partnership off just 169 balls. Ponting played the innings of his life reaching his 13th century off just 103 balls with two fours and five sixes. Man of the Match Ponting remained unbeaten on a career best 140 off 121 balls, with four fours and eight sixes. Martyn remained not out on 88 runs off 84 balls with seven fours and a six. The Indians conceded 37 extras as Australia put up the highest score at this ground and also the highest score in a World Cup final: 359/2. This is the first time that any team has won the World Cup thrice. Australia won it in 1987 and of course also the last time in 1999. The Aussies showed that they are professionals to the core. It didn’t matter to them that the Waugh twins were no longer in the side, that Shane Warne had to return to Australia for testing positive for drugs and that Jason Gillespie too had to return to Australia due to injury. The World Champions remained unbeaten throughout the tournament. Though India lost the final, they can still hold their heads high for they lost only to Australia in this tournament. The way India picked up their game after the drubbing the Aussies gave them in the first round has to be appreciated. Cricket World Cup : Live Coverage, Match Reports, Score Cards in-depth coverage > Cricket World Cup 2003 > |
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