Australia cruise over depleted Sri Lanka
My alarm woke me with the dismal news that Sri Lanka were resting Vaas and Murali. I can understand the strategy - Australia and Sri Lanka are my pick to meet in the final. Australia have already demonstrated the dangers of peaking before the finals. Nevertheless, I did sacrifice a night's sleep (as well as any chance of being productive on Tuesday) only to watch an easy 7 wicket Australian victory where Sri Lanka didn't seem to care at all about winning the match.
The Sri Lankan innings kicked off briskly, scoring at 6 per over. It was largely due to Shaun Tait who sprayed it around from the outset - his opening spell only lasted 2 overs before Ponting replaced him with McGrath. Looks like Pigeon is becoming a new ball bowler again! Then Sri Lanka lost 3 wickets in 3 overs, reeling at 3 for 37. Silva and Jayawardena rallied with a 140 run stand. Late in their partnership, I made a "strategic" decision to nap until Australia's innings. I woke at the end of the innings to find Sri Lanka dismissed for 226 in the 50th over. Bracken starred with 4 for 19 off his 10 overs. Their last 7 wickets fell for 59 runs and the total never looked enough without Murali and Vaas. It probably wouldn't have been enough even with Muralia and Vaas.
I'm starting to get into a World Cup routine now. I used the innings break to grab some badly needed sleep. It's a unique experience listening to ABC radio while dozing. I dreamt I was chatting with an English journalist who wrote a book about the 2006/07 Ashes, followed by running on the track while Cathy Freeman replayed her gold medal race at the 2000 Olympics. Luckily I woke just in time for Australia's innings. Go body clock!
Matt Hayden came out and blasted 41 off 30 balls. His batting has dominated the World Cup and the rest of the world can blame Daniel Vettori who dropped Hayden in Australia - if he'd held the catch, Hayden would've likely been dropped. After Hayden and Gilchrist fell, Ponting and Clarke motored along comfortably until Clarke drove a low catch to cover. Then Symonds came in and clubbed the ball all over the ground as he (63 not out off 71 balls) and Ponting (66 not out off 80 balls) easily knocked off the required runs with 8 overs remaining.
So Australia have locked in the #1 spot and will play #4 in the semi-final. Similarly, Sri Lanka and New Zealand have locked in #2 and #3 and will play in the other semi-final. Who we play should be determined by the winner tomorrow between England and South Africa. Despite the well earned chokers tag, I expect South Africa to qualify although I'd rather we play England. As for the Super 8's, we have one last game against New Zealand on Friday. It's a relatively meaningless game - the most interesting feature will be if Watson plays. If the Kiwis rest Vettori and Bond, I don't think I'll be sacrificing another night's sleep.
| Posted by JC on Tue 17 Apr |  16 comments |
I would have loved to see Hussey get in the runs again..been too long and I'm hoping he can hit the ground running in the semis or the finals ...
Regarding the "dozing-radio" sessions..I can totally relate to it as I regularly dozed off to sleep during the recent Ashes listening to commentary...and it's bliss to actually have nightmares of England piling up the runs, only to wake up in cold sweat and find Shane running through the side...
Have been reading a no. of articles saying that this has been the most boring WC in recent times and I daresay have to agree..as much as I'm loving the Aussie dominance, not a single match of theirs has gone down to the wire..and very few other matches too....and Bangladesh and Ireland have provided the most entertainment for me...
Posted by Karthik Ranganathan on 2007-04-17 09:34:01
Regarding the "dozing-radio" sessions..I can totally relate to it as I regularly dozed off to sleep during the recent Ashes listening to commentary...and it's bliss to actually have nightmares of England piling up the runs, only to wake up in cold sweat and find Shane running through the side...
Have been reading a no. of articles saying that this has been the most boring WC in recent times and I daresay have to agree..as much as I'm loving the Aussie dominance, not a single match of theirs has gone down to the wire..and very few other matches too....and Bangladesh and Ireland have provided the most entertainment for me...
Posted by Karthik Ranganathan on 2007-04-17 09:34:01
I have been having weird dreams along similar lines during previous matches. I dreamt I was forced into the spotlight by leading an Australian rebel tour to Zimbabwe after Ponting's men decided not to go. The pressure got quite intense when John Howard came out and condemned the tour, but fortunately my former headmaster issued a statement in my defence.
I think the fact that we are discussing what happened when our eyes were closed rather than what has happened whilst they are open is a fair indication of the World Cup so far.
Personally, I think the Sri Lankans did the right thing by not playing their bowlers. Especially considering Australia would have loved nothing more than to face a few overs from Vaas and Murali and wouldn't have minded losing a few wickets in order to inflict some telling blows. As it is, come the finals, the Aussies won't have faced Murali in a while and have barely seen Malinga. Advantage Sri Lanka there. But what will be a concern is the fact that their batting simply wasn't good enough. Even a full strength Sri Lankan bowling attack won't be able to defend less than 300 against Australia.
Posted by P. Dorf on 2007-04-17 10:53:49
I think the fact that we are discussing what happened when our eyes were closed rather than what has happened whilst they are open is a fair indication of the World Cup so far.
Personally, I think the Sri Lankans did the right thing by not playing their bowlers. Especially considering Australia would have loved nothing more than to face a few overs from Vaas and Murali and wouldn't have minded losing a few wickets in order to inflict some telling blows. As it is, come the finals, the Aussies won't have faced Murali in a while and have barely seen Malinga. Advantage Sri Lanka there. But what will be a concern is the fact that their batting simply wasn't good enough. Even a full strength Sri Lankan bowling attack won't be able to defend less than 300 against Australia.
Posted by P. Dorf on 2007-04-17 10:53:49
P. Dorf makes a good point. I was lamenting to Wendy how I've had so much trouble staying awake during games, wondering if I'm getting too old for all nighters. I had no trouble staying up for the 2005 Ashes. However, the 2005 Ashes was some of the most enthralling cricket I've ever watched. There were sessions where every delivery was a nail biting, edge-of-the-seat drama. The World Cup on the other hand has had the tension of a deflated balloon. It didn't help that Sri Lanka rested their two best players (while I can appreciate the strategic reasons).
Hopefully things will pick up come semi-final time. Still, 2 months of lead up for 2 interesting games. I hope the ICC pull the finger and tighten up the schedule next time around.
Posted by JC on 2007-04-17 11:20:42
Hopefully things will pick up come semi-final time. Still, 2 months of lead up for 2 interesting games. I hope the ICC pull the finger and tighten up the schedule next time around.
Posted by JC on 2007-04-17 11:20:42
I've been thinking about why SL rested murali and Vaas. It wouldn't surprise me at all if murali has been working on a new ball for the last couple of years, ready to unleash his secret weapon aganist the Aussies in the final.
And if the ball is at all controversial, eg a variation on his doosra, I can see the Aussies, especially Ponting, blowing their stack a la Trent Bridge 2005. Then once Ponting's composure (and possible wicket) has gone, the rest is in the bag!maybe Ponting needs that anger management consultant after all!
Anyway I'm getting ahead of myself here -it's all speculation. But it makes the WC more interesting for me. Like you said, the actual matches are a bit ho hum.
Posted by MT on 2007-04-17 16:34:19
And if the ball is at all controversial, eg a variation on his doosra, I can see the Aussies, especially Ponting, blowing their stack a la Trent Bridge 2005. Then once Ponting's composure (and possible wicket) has gone, the rest is in the bag!maybe Ponting needs that anger management consultant after all!
Anyway I'm getting ahead of myself here -it's all speculation. But it makes the WC more interesting for me. Like you said, the actual matches are a bit ho hum.
Posted by MT on 2007-04-17 16:34:19
To understand this decision we need to understand Tom Moody. Frankly, I think Sri Lanka will need two Murali's, Vaas', and Malingas apiece to topple Australia in their current form. Two early wickets doesn't mean that much when you look down the Aussie batting line up.
Posted by TA on 2007-04-17 16:56:26
Posted by TA on 2007-04-17 16:56:26
What a disgraceful display by Sri Lanka!
Forget that they rolled over and played dead.
Forget that they have dis-respected the Aussie team.
What about the fans? Didn’t they deserve to see Sri Lanka trying to win?
The world cup has been boring as it is without teams not trying.
This is like match fixing.
Posted by gillima on 2007-04-17 17:08:36
Forget that they rolled over and played dead.
Forget that they have dis-respected the Aussie team.
What about the fans? Didn’t they deserve to see Sri Lanka trying to win?
The world cup has been boring as it is without teams not trying.
This is like match fixing.
Posted by gillima on 2007-04-17 17:08:36
I just get this feeling that this WC will be like the Ashes, a whitewash, with the Aussies steam rolling everyone and anything in its path. Between the form of Ponting and Hayden, and the back up of Hussey and Symonds we can chase any score.
I just think the finals will be an anti-climax.
Our bowling is probably the only weakness, but it seems whenver one part fails, another steps up. Last night Tait failed after a good performance against England, and Bracken stepped up. Other nights it has been Hogg. We haven't had to rely on one or two bowlers to get wickets, the wickets have been well spread. Also from memory we have bowled every side out bar maybe Bangladesh in the 20/20 game.
Posted by Andrew on 2007-04-17 18:55:49
I just think the finals will be an anti-climax.
Our bowling is probably the only weakness, but it seems whenver one part fails, another steps up. Last night Tait failed after a good performance against England, and Bracken stepped up. Other nights it has been Hogg. We haven't had to rely on one or two bowlers to get wickets, the wickets have been well spread. Also from memory we have bowled every side out bar maybe Bangladesh in the 20/20 game.
Posted by Andrew on 2007-04-17 18:55:49
ah yes, the old Hoggmeister rarely fails, got a lot of time for him...
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-04-17 20:47:57
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-04-17 20:47:57
Gillima
Not playing your two best players in the World Cup of Cricket shows a total disrespect for the game in general, the tournament in particular. This is not your yearly tri-series where you can perhaps justify a rotation policy; this is the bloody World Cup.
Gaz might have a theory here. Perhaps a bucket load of cash wagered on the Aussies before the Sri Lankan team announcement??
I'm not suggesting that the players on the field didn't give their all, but the "selectors" come under immediate suspicion.
Heaven help this game of ours. Just where is it headed. If Malcolm Speed had any balls he'd call for an investigation into the Sri Lankan team selection.
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-04-17 20:49:02
Not playing your two best players in the World Cup of Cricket shows a total disrespect for the game in general, the tournament in particular. This is not your yearly tri-series where you can perhaps justify a rotation policy; this is the bloody World Cup.
Gaz might have a theory here. Perhaps a bucket load of cash wagered on the Aussies before the Sri Lankan team announcement??
I'm not suggesting that the players on the field didn't give their all, but the "selectors" come under immediate suspicion.
Heaven help this game of ours. Just where is it headed. If Malcolm Speed had any balls he'd call for an investigation into the Sri Lankan team selection.
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-04-17 20:49:02
There's nothing sinister about Murali and Vaas being rested. They're saving them up for the finals, particularly as they expect to play Australia in the final. It's actually not a bad strategy although I agree that it's poor on the fans, particularly poor Australians that sacrifice a good night's sleep to watch the game.
Posted by JC on 2007-04-17 21:10:27
Posted by JC on 2007-04-17 21:10:27
What you're saying then JC is that Sri Lanka, having made the semis, we're quite entitled to think, heh we don't need to win this one, let's rest our stars.
What then is the mind-set of the Sri Lankan team as it goes on to the field?
Have to disagree with you. For cricket to survive, each and every contest must be genuine. And be seen to be genuine. I certainly wouldn't attend a game if I knew one team had less of an inclination to win the contest.
You're showing some inconsistency JC. One minute you're taking the high moral ground re RP's "behaviour", the next you're condoning a suspect selection policy that almost guarantees a game's result.
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-04-17 22:42:51
What then is the mind-set of the Sri Lankan team as it goes on to the field?
Have to disagree with you. For cricket to survive, each and every contest must be genuine. And be seen to be genuine. I certainly wouldn't attend a game if I knew one team had less of an inclination to win the contest.
You're showing some inconsistency JC. One minute you're taking the high moral ground re RP's "behaviour", the next you're condoning a suspect selection policy that almost guarantees a game's result.
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-04-17 22:42:51
Read this article by Ian Chappell after posting the above. No wonder I've always liked him!!
http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/talk/content/multimedia/290871.html?view=transcript
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-04-17 22:58:14
http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/talk/content/multimedia/290871.html?view=transcript
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-04-17 22:58:14
Of course I'm inconsistent - I even explain why I'm inconsistent in my Captain Tantrum post. As for Sri Lanka vs Ponting's dummy spits, it's like comparing apples and oranges. Sri Lanka's decision, while unsportsman and not particularly admirable (and annoying for me), was a cold, clinical strategic decision. My problem with Ponting is when he loses self control rather than keeping cold and clinical, Steve Waugh style.
Posted by JC on 2007-04-18 07:38:39
Posted by JC on 2007-04-18 07:38:39
here's an interesting post about one of Murali's new approaches:
The New Muthiah Muralitharan Angle
I wonder if this is what he's been trying to hide from ponting and Symonds. After all they hit murali around the park for almost 10 runs an over 2 years ago, so he must have been thinking about the best way to neutralize them and get them out.
Was Murali bowling around the wicket when Nixon reverse swept him for 6?
Posted by MT on 2007-04-18 15:42:26
The New Muthiah Muralitharan Angle
I wonder if this is what he's been trying to hide from ponting and Symonds. After all they hit murali around the park for almost 10 runs an over 2 years ago, so he must have been thinking about the best way to neutralize them and get them out.
Was Murali bowling around the wicket when Nixon reverse swept him for 6?
Posted by MT on 2007-04-18 15:42:26
Interesting article, thanx for the link. If I understand correctly, this new angle of Murali's is effective against right handers. So shouldn't be relevant against the left handed Nixon. Look forward to seeing Murali try it against us in the final (assuming we dispose of South Africa in the semis)
Posted by JC on 2007-04-18 16:15:14
Posted by JC on 2007-04-18 16:15:14
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