Congratulations to the Australian side for winning the World cup for the fifth time. This time the Team from down under achieved the feat at Melbourne in their backyard. It was indeed a fitting tribute to outgoing captain Michael Clarke to ensure fifth title for Australia under his leadership. High five for the Australian players and the team of the Coach and support staff for achieving an incredible feat. Losing the vital toss did not matter much and there was no force to stop this clinical win. Captain Clarke deserves all the praise as he made an elegant 74 in a winning cause and guided the side in a low scoring match.
From the word go, Australian side planned a coup by dismissing captain McCullum in the first over of the match. New Zealand looked lacklustre at times and nervy at others, as they slipped to 3-39 early on before a spectacular late collapse saw their final seven wickets fall for 33 runs. Mitchell Johnson (3 for 30) and James Faulkner (3 for 36) were the pick of the bowlers. Mitchell Starc took 2 for 20, while Maxwell took 1 for 37.
The repair initiated by the Man of the Match in the semi-final Grant Elliot and the senior pro Ross Taylor could not do much to the progress of the Kiwi side as they caved in for 183, the same score Team India achieved in the 1983 final. Thereafter, Team Australia played to a plan and Smith stood firm to score another fifty and help the side to accomplish the target. Australian bowlers played a stellar role in this calculated win.
For captain Clarke it was indeed a momentous moment to win the cup in his farewell match. Clarke had bid adieu to one day cricket to focus on test cricket. He has played 108 matches so far which have yielded 8,432 runs and a highest score of an undefeated 329 in long format of the game. The entire MCG gave Clarke a standing ovation after he was dismissed after getting his team closer to world cup victory. It was a touching sight to find all his teammates standing at the boundary line to greet him.
The drives flowed from his bat, the footwork was as immaculate as ever and so was the manner in which he charged out to the spinners. Each and every shot was greeted with thunderous applause by the capacity crowd. Test of nerves in the final of the World cup ended in favour of the top notch side in the Championships, Team Australia. No other side has won the sport’s showpiece event more than twice, and this was indeed an exhibition of the home side’s superiority in every facet of the game.
C.K Subramaniam
