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| Shane Watson |
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| Mitchell Johnson |
(TOI)
NAGPUR : Assuming that captain Daniel Vettori was not pulling a faster one at the toss (they would have batted first anyway), he was expecting his batsmen to put their hands up and deliver.
New Zealand's top order indeed put their hands up. But it was an act of surrender (all out 206) in overcast conditions against a varied Australian pace attack on a tricky track.
The four-time champions accepted the gift, with part of their heart sympathetic to quake victims and part of their sleeves sporting black armbands. They won by seven wickets with 4.4 overs to spare at the VCA Jamtha stadium on Friday.
Australia recorded their 25th successive win at the World Cup (starting with the 1999 final against Pakistan) and extended their unbeaten streak to 31 games.
Left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson, ICC's Player of Year in 2009, ended with 4-33 and Shaun Tait 3-35. Openers Brad Haddin (55) and Shane Watson (62) shared the top gear between them to put on 133 for the first wicket. And though they perished one after the other, the twist was not on offer.
With Aussies needing 68 runs in 31 overs, Vettori opted for the powerplay (he could have set the same field without powerplay too), clearly hinting that he was practising for powerplays for remaining group games. With injured paceman Kyle Mills and consultant Allan Donald in the dressing room, he can't be too criticised for opening the attack with a spinner either.
Ricky Ponting's decision to win the toss and field was open for debate after 13 overs. He had to remove Shaun Tait from the attack after the speed demon conceded 20 in two overs. At 40/1, the Kiwis were trying to find their bearings when drinks were taken.
They must have taken proper care while selecting their bacteria-free drink at that time. But suddenly they lost the stomach for fight.
Johnson asked a probing question to left-handed Jesse Ryder. The ball was angled in and straightened a little bit after pitching. Luck was unavailable to ride for Ryder as the keeper did his job.
James Franklin and Scott Styris got out in reckless fashion (both caught behind for blobs) while Tait castled Ross Taylor who went with the front-foot flow and played over and across. In a spell of four overs, the contest was almost decided.
Nathan McCullum (52) and skipper Vettori (44), batting at No. 9, took the tally to 206.
Some impressions from the match include Ryder's consecutive fours between deep square-leg and fine leg before his punched fours on the off side; Martin Guptill using Brett Lee's pace to guide him for four over first slip; Haddin swivelling his bat and Kiwi paceman Hamish Bennett with chest on action losing precious momentum just before his leap.
It was an easy day in the park for the defending champions. A decent crowd from the cricket-mad city gave a spirited account of themselves from the stands. But the stadium remained half-empty and so were the hearts who hoped for a good contest.
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score card
| New Zealand innings (50 overs maximum) | R | M | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| MJ Guptill | b Watson | 10 | 45 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 40.00 |
| 8.5 126.3 kph, oh well, Watto has castled Guppy with another grubber. Bad signs this, for the game. Back of a length from Watto, Guppy may have been better off coming forward in hindsight, but I doubt it would have helped. It just never came up off the track, Guppy played a half-cock forward block, but it kissed the toe of the bat and just shot through onto the stumps. Balls bounce more on nine-pin bowling alleys. 40/2
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| BB McCullum† | c Krejza b Tait | 16 | 19 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 133.33 |
| 3.4 142.1 kph, McCullum has holed out, or has he? Caught at third man by Krejza, but the umpire wants to check if he over-stepped. He landed alright, but the foot skid a few inches forward. Still doesn't over-step so McCullum has to go. Full delivery outside off, Baz looks for the extravagant carve over point, but since his feet weren't across it went off the outside edge, close to the bottom of the bat. He went at that so hard, that it carried to Krejza at third man at good height. 20/1
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| JD Ryder | c †Haddin b Johnson | 25 | 49 | 31 | 6 | 0 | 80.64 |
| 13.2 141.5 kph, caught behind! New Zealand are making no progress here. Johnson hits a good length around off stump and gets the ball to straighten just enough off the pitch. Ryder pushes forward tentatively and gets a thick nick through to Haddin. It's what eventually happens when you let one bowler bowl at a batsman for long periods without making him change his line by rotating strike. 66/3
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| LRPL Taylor | b Tait | 7 | 45 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 31.81 |
| 16.6 139.9 kph, bowled him! Tait fires a full and fast yorker at Taylor, who had no hope once he made the decision to play across the line. He played around the ball and it crashed into off stump. 73/6
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| JEC Franklin | c †Haddin b Johnson | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 13.5 138.3 kph, there you go, too high at No. 5. Franklin keeps his feet rooted in his crease and tries to drive at one extremely far away from his body. Rubbish shot, and the edge is taken oh so easily by Haddin. 66/4
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| SB Styris | c †Haddin b Tait | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 14.4 138.6 kph, horrific shot from Styris and the implosion continues. Tait pitched one short and wide, Styris went to slash it but it was a bit too far from him. He needed to get a bit closer to the ball but he didn't and the edge is once again taken by Haddin. 67/5
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| JM How | lbw b Smith | 22 | 60 | 47 | 1 | 0 | 46.80 |
| 28.6 76.5 kph, How reviews an lbw call that looked plumb at the outset. Tossed up on middle from a touch wide of the crease, grips and straightens as How looks to defend it in front of front pad. The bat came across from its backlift, that began with the bat pointing at gully, a little late. The ball thudded into the pad in front of middle and was headed towards the stumps too. A review wasted, How is gone. 121/7
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| NL McCullum | lbw b Johnson | 52 | 94 | 76 | 3 | 0 | 68.42 |
| 41.2 139.6 kph, Nathan reviews an lbw decision. Another interesting one, as Mitch landed on middleand leg. The ball was doing nothing, just carried on with the line. Nathan, for some reason, was looking to get across to the off stump and nurdle to the leg side. A fine plan that, but not if you miss the plan. He did. Hit in the front of middle, and it was carrying on to hit off. Both reviews done for New Zealand, and an important wicket for Aus. 175/8
|
| DL Vettori* | c †Haddin b Lee | 44 | 62 | 43 | 5 | 0 | 102.32 |
| 44.6 121.6 kph, after seven brilliant wicket-less overs, Lee picks one in his shoddiest over of the day. Vettori has run more at the crease today than between them, and again motors away to well outside off. Lee does well to stick to his guns and keep it outside off, back of a length. Vettori goes for the pull and gets an inside edge, through to Haddin. 206/9
|
| TG Southee | c Ponting b Johnson | 6 | 20 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 60.00 |
| 45.1 139.6 kph, Ponting is saved a hefty fine for slow over rates as Australia manage to bowl New Zealand out, just five minutes over time. Poor, poor shot from Southee. Looks to launch a straight length ball without getting forward, and just tonks it up in the air. It goes up into the Nagpur sky and when it comes down, Ponting is ready, despite the fact that the midday sun would have blinded him. 206/10
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| HK Bennett | not out | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
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| Extras | (b 1, lb 8, w 13, nb 2) | 24 |
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| Total | (all out; 45.1 overs; 207 mins) | 206 | (4.56 runs per over) |
| Fall of wickets1-20 (BB McCullum, 3.4 ov), 2-40 (Guptill, 8.5 ov), 3-66 (Ryder, 13.2 ov), 4-66 (Franklin, 13.5 ov), 5-67 (Styris, 14.4 ov), 6-73 (Taylor, 16.6 ov), 7-121 (How, 28.6 ov), 8-175 (NL McCullum, 41.2 ov), 9-206 (Vettori, 44.6 ov), 10-206 (Southee, 45.1 ov) |
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| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ |
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| B Lee | 8 | 2 | 29 | 1 | 3.62 |
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| 44.6 to Vettori, 121.6 kph, after seven brilliant wicket-less overs, Lee picks one in his shoddiest over of the day. Vettori has run more at the crease today than between them, and again motors away to well outside off. Lee does well to stick to his guns and keep it outside off, back of a length. Vettori goes for the pull and gets an inside edge, through to Haddin. 206/9
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| SW Tait | 7 | 0 | 35 | 3 | 5.00 | (2nb, 4w) |
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| 3.4 to BB McCullum, 142.1 kph, McCullum has holed out, or has he? Caught at third man by Krejza, but the umpire wants to check if he over-stepped. He landed alright, but the foot skid a few inches forward. Still doesn't over-step so McCullum has to go. Full delivery outside off, Baz looks for the extravagant carve over point, but since his feet weren't across it went off the outside edge, close to the bottom of the bat. He went at that so hard, that it carried to Krejza at third man at good height. 20/1
14.4 to Styris, 138.6 kph, horrific shot from Styris and the implosion continues. Tait pitched one short and wide, Styris went to slash it but it was a bit too far from him. He needed to get a bit closer to the ball but he didn't and the edge is once again taken by Haddin. 67/5
16.6 to Taylor, 139.9 kph, bowled him! Tait fires a full and fast yorker at Taylor, who had no hope once he made the decision to play across the line. He played around the ball and it crashed into off stump. 73/6
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| MG Johnson | 9.1 | 3 | 33 | 4 | 3.60 | (2w) |
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| 13.2 to Ryder, 141.5 kph, caught behind! New Zealand are making no progress here. Johnson hits a good length around off stump and gets the ball to straighten just enough off the pitch. Ryder pushes forward tentatively and gets a thick nick through to Haddin. It's what eventually happens when you let one bowler bowl at a batsman for long periods without making him change his line by rotating strike. 66/3
13.5 to Franklin, 138.3 kph, there you go, too high at No. 5. Franklin keeps his feet rooted in his crease and tries to drive at one extremely far away from his body. Rubbish shot, and the edge is taken oh so easily by Haddin. 66/4
41.2 to NL McCullum, 139.6 kph, Nathan reviews an lbw decision. Another interesting one, as Mitch landed on middleand leg. The ball was doing nothing, just carried on with the line. Nathan, for some reason, was looking to get across to the off stump and nurdle to the leg side. A fine plan that, but not if you miss the plan. He did. Hit in the front of middle, and it was carrying on to hit off. Both reviews done for New Zealand, and an important wicket for Aus. 175/8
45.1 to Southee, 139.6 kph, Ponting is saved a hefty fine for slow over rates as Australia manage to bowl New Zealand out, just five minutes over time. Poor, poor shot from Southee. Looks to launch a straight length ball without getting forward, and just tonks it up in the air. It goes up into the Nagpur sky and when it comes down, Ponting is ready, despite the fact that the midday sun would have blinded him. 206/10
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| SR Watson | 3 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 3.00 | (1w) |
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| 8.5 to Guptill, 126.3 kph, oh well, Watto has castled Guppy with another grubber. Bad signs this, for the game. Back of a length from Watto, Guppy may have been better off coming forward in hindsight, but I doubt it would have helped. It just never came up off the track, Guppy played a half-cock forward block, but it kissed the toe of the bat and just shot through onto the stumps. Balls bounce more on nine-pin bowling alleys. 40/2
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| JJ Krejza | 9 | 0 | 47 | 0 | 5.22 | (1w) |
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| SPD Smith | 9 | 0 | 44 | 1 | 4.88 | (1w) |
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| 28.6 to How, 76.5 kph, How reviews an lbw call that looked plumb at the outset. Tossed up on middle from a touch wide of the crease, grips and straightens as How looks to defend it in front of front pad. The bat came across from its backlift, that began with the bat pointing at gully, a little late. The ball thudded into the pad in front of middle and was headed towards the stumps too. A review wasted, How is gone. 121/7
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| Australia innings (target: 207 runs from 50 overs) | R | M | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| SR Watson | b Bennett | 62 | 87 | 61 | 6 | 1 | 101.63 |
| 18.3 Bennett has picked two in two. Do NZ have a chance to get back into this? Once again, Watto perishes soon after crossing his 50. Bennett continues to operate with that nagging lack of pace, this time back of a length and well outside off. Watto waited for it to come on and played an ugly cross-batted swipe. The ball was coming slower than he expected, and took the inside edge before crashing into the stumps. 136/2
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| BJ Haddin† | c Franklin b Bennett | 55 | 84 | 50 | 8 | 0 | 110.00 |
| 18.1 95.4 kph, Bennett gets Haddin with a 96.4 kph slow bouncer. Comical stuff all round. It came out much shorter than Bennett wanted - landed midway down the pitch, took off in slow motion and seemed to stop - in mid-air mind you - as Haddin evaluated his options. He decided to throw the horizontal bat at it and swat it down, but it was too high for him to control. He ended up looping it to deep midwicket, despite rolling the wrists over it, and this time Franklin holds. 133/1
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| RT Ponting* | st †BB McCullum b Southee | 12 | 39 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 42.85 |
| 26.5 135.0 kph, Ponting must be miffed. Hide the TV in the dressing room. Lovely work from Baz, he's stolen a wicket out of nowhere. Southee pushes another one half a foot down the leg side, Ponting is lulled out of the crease as he plays a walking flick and misses. McCullum doesn't. With hands quicker than a rattlesnake he collects and removes the bails. By the time Ponting turned back, McCullum was celebrating. Hide the TVs I say. 167/3
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| MJ Clarke | not out | 24 | 77 | 37 | 4 | 0 | 64.86 |
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| CL White | not out | 22 | 39 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 78.57 |
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| Extras | (lb 3, w 29) | 32 |
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| Total | (3 wickets; 34 overs; 167 mins) | 207 | (6.08 runs per over) |
| Did not bat DJ Hussey, SPD Smith, MG Johnson, JJ Krejza, B Lee, SW Tait |
| Fall of wickets1-133 (Haddin, 18.1 ov), 2-136 (Watson, 18.3 ov), 3-167 (Ponting, 26.4 ov) |
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| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ |
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| TG Southee | 10 | 2 | 45 | 1 | 4.50 | (4w) |
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| 26.5 to Ponting, 135.0 kph, Ponting must be miffed. Hide the TV in the dressing room. Lovely work from Baz, he's stolen a wicket out of nowhere. Southee pushes another one half a foot down the leg side, Ponting is lulled out of the crease as he plays a walking flick and misses. McCullum doesn't. With hands quicker than a rattlesnake he collects and removes the bails. By the time Ponting turned back, McCullum was celebrating. Hide the TVs I say. 167/3
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| DL Vettori | 7 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 5.57 | (1w) |
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| HK Bennett | 7 | 0 | 63 | 2 | 9.00 | (7w) |
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| 18.1 to Haddin, 95.4 kph, Bennett gets Haddin with a 96.4 kph slow bouncer. Comical stuff all round. It came out much shorter than Bennett wanted - landed midway down the pitch, took off in slow motion and seemed to stop - in mid-air mind you - as Haddin evaluated his options. He decided to throw the horizontal bat at it and swat it down, but it was too high for him to control. He ended up looping it to deep midwicket, despite rolling the wrists over it, and this time Franklin holds. 133/1
18.3 to Watson, Bennett has picked two in two. Do NZ have a chance to get back into this? Once again, Watto perishes soon after crossing his 50. Bennett continues to operate with that nagging lack of pace, this time back of a length and well outside off. Watto waited for it to come on and played an ugly cross-batted swipe. The ball was coming slower than he expected, and took the inside edge before crashing into the stumps. 136/2
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| NL McCullum | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 7.33 |
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| JD Ryder | 5 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 4.80 | (3w) |
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| JEC Franklin | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 5.50 |
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