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Lee & Gilchrist decimate India

Monday, February 2 2004

A superb display of fast bowling from Brett Lee & a whirlwind partnership from Adam Gilchrist & Andrew Symonds has seen Australia take a convincing win into the VB series finals.

Australia entered this match with several changes, Adam Gilchrist returning to captain the side & left handers Simon Katich & Mike Hussey coming in, the later for his debut.

Sourav Ganguly won the toss & batted on a pacey pitch with a lightning outfield.

However Brett Lee, with conditions tailored to him, immediately had the Indians on the back foot with a searing spell, bowling with the pace & swing that had made him such a threat in last years world cup & the control which had deserted him all summer, Lee had the Indians hoping around from the word go & was rewarded with the prized scalp of Sachin Tendulkar, edging a simple catch to Matthew Hayden at slip for 5.

VVS Laxman walked to the crease with his confidence levels defying belief after 3 centuries in a week, however Lee quickly brought the stylish right hander back down to earth, the blonde speedsters pace & direction proving irresistible as he beat Laxman’s bat 4 times in 6 balls before claiming his wicket thanks to a meek defensive push.

Virender Sehwag continued to look at home, playing Jason Gillespie with authority & looking relatively confident against Lee, however not for the first time Sehwag’s confidence brought him undone, steering a short ball from Gillespie straight to Lee on the rope at third man for a typically brisk 32.

Sourav Ganguly looked completely at sea, being struck on the helmet first ball & proding nervously for 10 deliveries before he was eventually caught behind off Bichel for 1, his 3rd successive failure.

Brad Williams bowled an excellent line & was soon rewarded for his patience, Dravid growing tired of being tied down & slicing a cut shot straight to debutant Hussey at point for 13.
Rohan Gavaskar was off the mark with a wonderful square drive, a shot even his father would have been proud of, but Adam Gilchrist bid to finish things off quickly, introducing Brett Lee with instant results as Gavaskar met his match in the form of a late in-dipper, bowled for 6, leaving India in a particularly bleak situation at 6-101.

Ajit Agarkar then strode to the crease & proceeded to produce arguably the least convincing innings of 9 in living memory, the Mumbai ‘allrounder’ being made to look a right fool by Lee’s searing pace & sharp bounce, literally failing to lay bat on Lee in the 3 overs he faced, as well as surviving two marginal appeals & being struck on the helmet.

Agarkar’s troubles were made to look all the more comical by the relative ease with which Yuvraj Singh dispatched the bowling, the left hander showing uncharacteristic patience as he held India’s lower order together.

Agarkar’s debacle was eventually ended by a poor call from Singh, leaving his partner stranded for 9 from 39 deliveries.

Irfan Pathan raised doubts as to why he was situated below Agarkar in the order with a belligerent but brief cameo, swiping Symonds over his head for 6, meanwhile Yuvraj fell pushing at a Symonds away swinger for 47 (62 balls, 5 fours).

Pathan fell soon after trying to clear the ropes once more, Andrew Bichel taking a superb diving catch at third man from the resulting thick edge.

Last pair Murali Kartik & Balaji then carried their side past 200 in admirable fashion before Balaji was comically run out for 11, leaving Kartik unbeaten on 32.
All out for 203 from 49 overs, considering India’s awful start it seemed quite an achievement to pass 200.

Lee produced arguably the best spell of the series so far & finished with 3-22 from his 10 overs, Andrew Symonds also did his job with 2-37 from his full compliment.

204 on a lightning WACA strip was not an imposing target, and Adam Gilchrist showed just how the Australian’s were set to go about, slashing at the second ball of the innings & being reprieved by Laxman at second slip.

Gilchrist continued to live dangerously, being beaten 3 times yet canning 2 fours & a six during Irfan Pathan’s first over.

India needed a quick wicket to have any chance in this match, and they got it as Matthew Hayden drove loosely at Agarkar, only for Gavaskar to take a great catch at cover.

Damien Martyn received a generous ovation as he strode out onto his home ground & was promptly off the mark flicking Agarkar to fine leg for 2, however his confidence suffered yet another blow, as did the selectors patience, when he edged a rising away swinger to Laxman who took a superb catch diving away at second slip.

Martyn out for 2 as his dismal series continued.

Michael Clarke swaggered out after being promoted in the batting order, but Balaji’s late away swing made the 22 year New South Welshman look all at sea, eventually gone for 2 driving at a wide ball, Sehwag taking the catch at slip.

At 3-37 India were right back in the game, however Adam Gilchrist & Andrew Symonds proceeded to take it away from the Indian’s in quick time, Symonds blasting Agarkar through cover on several occasions & Gilchrist flat batting Pathan to the ropes at point.

Ganguly introduced spin in the form of Murali Kartik yet the outcome was similar as both Gilchrist & Symonds improvised to keep the board ticking at around 8 an over.

Gilchrist reached his half century slightly quicker from 33 deliveries, but Symonds took over from that point, first stepping down to Pathan & lofting the 19 year old speedster into the driveway running parallel to the Prindiville Stand, he then topped this feat next over by lofting Murali Kartik over 30 rows onto the roof of the players pavilion, one of the biggest sixes in recent memory.

Symonds eventually holed out to Laxman off Pathan for 73 (57 balls, 11 fours, 2 sixes), Gilchrist followed soon after for 75 (65 balls, 11 fours, 1 six).

Bringing new boys Mike Hussey & Simon Katich to the crease, they proceeded to wipe off the remaining 39 runs without offering a chance.

Katich finishing on 18, while Hussey rounded off his encouraging debut with 17.
Balaji was the only Indian bowler to have any affect in the face of the Australian onslaught, finishing with 1-37 from his 10 overs.

While Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar & Murali Kartik all went at around 8 an over.

Australia finishing at 5-204 from 32 overs, a win by 5 wickets with a massive 108 balls to spare.

They will now head to Sydney to prepare for the finals series, while India meet Zimbabwe on Tuesday.

Summary
India 204 all out
Yuvraj 47, Kartik 32*, Lee 3-22, Symonds 2-37

Australia 204-5
Gilchrist 75, Symonds 73, Agarkar 2-56, Pathan 2-69

Australia win by 5 wickets with 108 balls to spare
man of the match – Adam Gilchrist

Posted by DavidH