Related Links : DLF Cup :: Aus-Ind-WI : Scorecard
Australia have won the DLF Cup beating West Indies comprehensively in the Final at the Kinrara Academy Oval. Defending a total of 240, the Australians bundled out Windies for a paltry 113 in just 34.2 overs to win by a huge margin of 127 runs. The World Champions were partly let down by it top order as they struggled to gather any sorts of momentum in the afternoon. But a late resurgence coming through its clean strikers, Australia posted enough runs on the board for the likes of Lee, McGrath and co. to play with. West Indies were very much on line to win the match realistically till the 16th over when they lost their last hope Skipper Brian Lara to a bad piece of umpiring. After that it was totally a one-sided affair with wickets going down in quick time.
The start to the final wasn’t promising enough with the skies looking cloudy. The start from the Aussies wasn’t promising either as they lost Shane Watson in the 7th over with nothing much on the board. At one end there was Simon Katich unable to break free and play any free flowing shots. Ricky Ponting was expected to give the much needed momentum to the innings but he was done in by an unplayable inswinger at good pace from Jerome Taylor. Australia couldn’t make any use of the powerplay blocks accumulating just 61. In an attempt to get a move ahead, Simon Katich hit a sweetly timed six off Dwayne Bravo over long off but his painstaking innings came to an end soon caught off Chris Gayle in the outfield after facing 66 deliveries for just 25.
Damien Martyn who had started off timing the ball nicely stuck around with Andrew Symonds to reconstruct the innings. Both batsmen eased into a wonderful partnership to take Australia to 153 for 4 in the 39th over when Martyn had holed down to long off in Ian Bradshaw’s bowling. Damien Martyn scored a 77-ball 52 with 5 boundaries with his square cuts being the percentage shot of his innings. Andrew Symonds fell soon after making a 59-ball 52 after he picked up Morton in the outfield off the bowling of leg spinner Ramnaresh Sarwan. Symonds’s knock contained a couple of powerful sixes on the legside. Australia smashed 75 runs in the last 10 overs to get to 240 for 6 with Michael Hussey remaining unbeaten on 30 (24 balls, 2x4s, 1×6) along with Brad Haddin (17 in 12 balls with 1×6). West Indies bowling honours was once again taken by Ian Bradshaw who conceded just 30 besides taking two wickets in his 10 overs. Jerome Taylor was the next impressive bowler, giving away just 36 in 10 overs along with the wicket of Ponting.
The man who was so important in providing the platform for West Indies, Chris Gayle was yorked the very first ball of the innings by Brett Lee. It was a 143kmph delivery that swung back to hit the tall left hander on his toes much before he could get his stick down. Chanderpaul was the next to go in the 8th over as he was late in checking his flick shot which had lobbed to mid on. Runako Morton, the no.3 today did a Katich-act which was even better than Simon Katich as he just couldn’t get even a single run after facing 31 deliveries. Morton was caught lbw playing along the wrong line by Nathan Bracken. The left armer who was driven through the covers majestically by the West Indian Captain for boundary was lucky to get his third wicket. It was Brian Lara who was given out caught behind off Bracken which turned out to be a poor decision as the sound that had come was that of Lara’s bat hitting his pad in an attempted drive. With West Indies at 32 for 4 in the 16th over, it was a Herculean task for Sarwan to do anything along with the rest of the players to match Australia’s bowling.
Sarwan did get a partnership going with Dwayne Smith who was hitting out of trouble. But a superb direct throw from Ponting ended Sarwan’s tiny little fight and after that there was no looking back for the Aussies with Brett Lee cleaning up the remaining three wickets. Sarwan was the top scorer with 36 in 64 balls with 5 hits to the fence. Dwayne Smith’s 30 was an entertaining one as he got two sixes including a pull shot off Shane Watson. Brett Lee finished with 4 for 24 after bowling 8.2 overs and he got the Man of the Match and the Man of the Series award. Shane Watson was equally impressive picking up two wickets in his 6 overs. Glenn McGrath had little to do except to bowl a six-over spell that produced as many runs.