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| Shane Watson |
(TOI)
BANGALORE. The 7-wicket victory on Wednesday for defending champions Australia over Canada with as many as 15.1 overs to spare may have reinforced Ricky Ponting's views that associate nations do not belong in the World Cup. But Ponting would have to admit that his bowling worries are far from over.
Not even the fact that openers Shane Watson and Brad Haddin set a new record for Australia as far as opening partnerships in the World Cup go, or that their unbeaten run in World Cups extended to 34 matches, would have helped there.
Canada may have eventually set Australia a modest 212 to get at the Chinnaswamy Stadium but it was not before the Australians were given quite a scare by 19-year-old Hiral Patel who starred as Canada raised the quickest first 50 runs (4.4 overs) in the 2011 World Cup. The pocket dynamo was finally out for a 45-ball 54 (5x4, 3x6), caught on the third man line while attempting a fourth six but in the course of his entertaining knock he showed up the Australian attack.
If Shaun Tait can't get you, neither will Brett Lee nor for that matter Mitchell Johnson, at least not initially. All three Australian pacers, termed time and again as a very potent and complementing combination by skipper Ricky Ponting, bowled upwards of 145kmph on Wednesday only for the small-made Patel to send each of the quick men to the cleaners.
For the second match in succession, against yet another unfancied team, the Australian attack was found wanting, lacking in direction and purpose. If Tait conceded 17 off his first two overs, Lee went for 32 from three and Johnson only slightly better with 20 off three. Patel simply relished the room he was provided by all three bowlers, cutting fiercely, upper cutting with disdain and driving with a fair bit of class. Neither the bowlers nor Ponting seemed to have a clue as to how to stop him even after Lee had sent back the other opener John Davison, in his last ODI innings, with a bouncer that took the glove. The same bouncer to Patel was hooked for six and had the batsman not uppercut Watson straight to Johnson on the edge of the fence, Australia could have been looking at a far bigger chase.
With the bat too, the start was a little unusual with both Watson (94, 90b, 9x4, 4x6) and Haddin (88, 84b, 11x4, 2x6) scratching around. It was the batting Powerplay, taken ahead of the bowling one which never came about, and the overs that followed that raised the tempo and brought a quick end to the proceedings. Canada have now finished their World Cup engagements while Australia travel to Sri Lanka.
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score card
| Canada innings (50 overs maximum) | R | M | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| H Patel | c Johnson b Watson | 54 | 58 | 45 | 5 | 3 | 120.00 |
| 11.3 126.1 kph, finally Hiral's adventurous innings is over, he went for the slash to a short and wide delivery, got on his toes to counter the bounce, but got it high in the air, and safely down to Mitch on the third man boundary who takes it cleanly, but what a knock from the kid 82/2
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| JM Davison | c †Haddin b Lee | 14 | 19 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 116.66 |
| 3.5 121.4 kph, that will do for Lee, and that will be the end of John Davison for one final time, the slow bouncer from Brett, got Davison in an awkward position as he tried to go for the hook, the ball took the glove and lobbed away to Haddin who pouched it 41/1
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| ZE Surkari | b Tait | 34 | 130 | 69 | 2 | 0 | 49.27 |
| 30.4 146.9 kph, bowled 'em, 147.1 kph fuller one outside off stump, he had been stung by that blow the previous delivery and went for the ambitious cover drive, got an inside edge that clattered on to the stumps 157/5
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| A Bagai*† | c †Haddin b Tait | 39 | 74 | 55 | 6 | 0 | 70.90 |
| 28.2 137.4 kph, that will do, Tait finally has a wicket, another short and wide enough, Bagai went flailing at it, had to reach out for it, and got a thick edge which Haddin took easily, thrown it away really, he was looking in control 150/3
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| AS Hansra | c Lee b Krejza | 3 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 |
| 29.6 80.7 kph, Krejza gets reward for tossing the ball up, he went for the big one down the ground, but with the turn Krejza is getting, got it in the air for Lee to take a fine low catch running in from long on, mid off was in the circle, but the turn did Hansra in 157/4
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| Rizwan Cheema | b Lee | 2 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| 31.3 114.9 kph, Lee with the broadest of smiles, 115.1 kph, what a comedown in pace, super slower one, bang on middle stump, Cheema had no clue about it, doesn't help it the normal pace is around 145, plays all over it too early, and the ball takes out middle stump 161/6
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| NR Kumar | c Tait b Johnson | 7 | 26 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 38.88 |
| 36.3 139.6 kph, Nitish has had enough of all this searching examination from the quicks, he gets a fuller one and tries to lift it back over Johnson's head, but only gets it high in the air for mid off to settle under it 169/7
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| K Whatham | b Lee | 18 | 57 | 41 | 2 | 0 | 43.90 |
| 45.4 145.2 kph, 145.5 kph high full toss gets Lee his fourth, Whatham backed away to the leg side, and looked to have a go at it, but it was too quick for him, and took out the stumps off the inside edge 211/10
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| HS Baidwan | c Ponting b Krejza | 17 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 121.42 |
| 41.2 78.5 kph, Krejza gets him this time, got him to charge down the track and have a big heave, the ball went miles in the air, enough for both Smith and Ponting to go for the catch, Ponting it is who takes it cleanly in the end, just brushes into Smith who was hanging around, and then bangs the ball in to the ground in anger 195/8
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| WD Balaji Rao | b Lee | 5 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 41.66 |
| 43.6 143.0 kph, Lee gets one on the stumps, and shatters them, from round the wicket with that angle, Balaji looked to flick it, but played all around it, 204/9
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| H Osinde | not out | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 |
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| Extras | (lb 4, w 11, nb 1) | 16 |
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| Total | (all out; 45.4 overs; 213 mins) | 211 | (4.62 runs per over) |
| Fall of wickets1-41 (Davison, 3.5 ov), 2-82 (Patel, 11.3 ov), 3-150 (Bagai, 28.2 ov), 4-157 (Hansra, 29.6 ov), 5-157 (Surkari, 30.4 ov), 6-161 (Rizwan Cheema, 31.3 ov), 7-169 (Kumar, 36.3 ov), 8-195 (Baidwan, 41.2 ov), 9-204 (Balaji Rao, 43.6 ov), 10-211 (Whatham, 45.4 ov) |
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| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ |
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| SW Tait | 8 | 1 | 34 | 2 | 4.25 | (1nb, 4w) |
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| 28.2 to Bagai, 137.4 kph, that will do, Tait finally has a wicket, another short and wide enough, Bagai went flailing at it, had to reach out for it, and got a thick edge which Haddin took easily, thrown it away really, he was looking in control 150/3
30.4 to Surkari, 146.9 kph, bowled 'em, 147.1 kph fuller one outside off stump, he had been stung by that blow the previous delivery and went for the ambitious cover drive, got an inside edge that clattered on to the stumps 157/5
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| B Lee | 8.4 | 0 | 46 | 4 | 5.30 | (2w) |
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| 3.5 to Davison, 121.4 kph, that will do for Lee, and that will be the end of John Davison for one final time, the slow bouncer from Brett, got Davison in an awkward position as he tried to go for the hook, the ball took the glove and lobbed away to Haddin who pouched it 41/1
31.3 to Rizwan Cheema, 114.9 kph, Lee with the broadest of smiles, 115.1 kph, what a comedown in pace, super slower one, bang on middle stump, Cheema had no clue about it, doesn't help it the normal pace is around 145, plays all over it too early, and the ball takes out middle stump 161/6
43.6 to Balaji Rao, 143.0 kph, Lee gets one on the stumps, and shatters them, from round the wicket with that angle, Balaji looked to flick it, but played all around it, 204/9
45.4 to Whatham, 145.2 kph, 145.5 kph high full toss gets Lee his fourth, Whatham backed away to the leg side, and looked to have a go at it, but it was too quick for him, and took out the stumps off the inside edge 211/10
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| MG Johnson | 10 | 0 | 43 | 1 | 4.30 | (3w) |
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| 36.3 to Kumar, 139.6 kph, Nitish has had enough of all this searching examination from the quicks, he gets a fuller one and tries to lift it back over Johnson's head, but only gets it high in the air for mid off to settle under it 169/7
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| SR Watson | 6 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 3.66 |
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| 11.3 to Patel, 126.1 kph, finally Hiral's adventurous innings is over, he went for the slash to a short and wide delivery, got on his toes to counter the bounce, but got it high in the air, and safely down to Mitch on the third man boundary who takes it cleanly, but what a knock from the kid 82/2
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| JJ Krejza | 10 | 0 | 44 | 2 | 4.40 | (2w) |
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| 29.6 to Hansra, 80.7 kph, Krejza gets reward for tossing the ball up, he went for the big one down the ground, but with the turn Krejza is getting, got it in the air for Lee to take a fine low catch running in from long on, mid off was in the circle, but the turn did Hansra in 157/4
41.2 to Baidwan, 78.5 kph, Krejza gets him this time, got him to charge down the track and have a big heave, the ball went miles in the air, enough for both Smith and Ponting to go for the catch, Ponting it is who takes it cleanly in the end, just brushes into Smith who was hanging around, and then bangs the ball in to the ground in anger 195/8
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| SPD Smith | 3 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 6.00 |
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| Australia innings (target: 212 runs from 50 overs) | R | M | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| SR Watson | c Osinde b Baidwan | 94 | 129 | 90 | 9 | 4 | 104.44 |
| 29.3 125.8 kph, Watson has missed his 100 too. This immense compulsion to hit sixes has finally cost him his wicket. He wanted to pull this. It wasn't straight enough. He still wanted to pull this. It wasn't short enough. He still wanted to pull this. Ends up trying to whack it over long on, but finds the man in the deep. 185/2
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| BJ Haddin† | c †Bagai b Davison | 88 | 124 | 84 | 11 | 2 | 104.76 |
| 28.5 85.3 kph, ah, finally a wicket. Davison has struck in his last game with a flat ball landing on leg and turning further down. Haddin tickles it along into Bagai's gloves. He's missed a 100 here. 183/1
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| RT Ponting* | c Davison b Osinde | 7 | 30 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 46.66 |
| 34.2 120.2 kph, a bad day for Ponting comes to a forgettable end. Hide the TVs, is the joke doing the rounds. His bowlers struggled to bowl out Canada. Steve Smith nearly muffed a catch that was his. And now he's not got the batting practice he wanted. And he's again perished to the short ball. Late on the pull, pops it up to square leg meekly. A catch for Davison now, this is not as bad way to retire. 207/3
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| MJ Clarke | not out | 16 | 29 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 94.11 |
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| CL White | not out | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 133.33 |
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| Extras | (lb 1, w 2) | 3 |
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| Total | (3 wickets; 34.5 overs; 159 mins) | 212 | (6.08 runs per over) |
| Did not bat MEK Hussey, SPD Smith, MG Johnson, B Lee, JJ Krejza, SW Tait |
| Fall of wickets1-183 (Haddin, 28.5 ov), 2-185 (Watson, 29.3 ov), 3-207 (Ponting, 34.2 ov) |
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| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ |
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| H Osinde | 9.5 | 0 | 53 | 1 | 5.38 | (2w) |
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| 34.2 to Ponting, 120.2 kph, a bad day for Ponting comes to a forgettable end. Hide the TVs, is the joke doing the rounds. His bowlers struggled to bowl out Canada. Steve Smith nearly muffed a catch that was his. And now he's not got the batting practice he wanted. And he's again perished to the short ball. Late on the pull, pops it up to square leg meekly. A catch for Davison now, this is not as bad way to retire. 207/3
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| HS Baidwan | 10 | 1 | 41 | 1 | 4.10 |
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| 29.3 to Watson, 125.8 kph, Watson has missed his 100 too. This immense compulsion to hit sixes has finally cost him his wicket. He wanted to pull this. It wasn't straight enough. He still wanted to pull this. It wasn't short enough. He still wanted to pull this. Ends up trying to whack it over long on, but finds the man in the deep. 185/2
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| WD Balaji Rao | 7 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 6.57 |
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| Rizwan Cheema | 3 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 7.66 |
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| JM Davison | 4 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 7.25 |
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| 28.5 to Haddin, 85.3 kph, ah, finally a wicket. Davison has struck in his last game with a flat ball landing on leg and turning further down. Haddin tickles it along into Bagai's gloves. He's missed a 100 here. 183/1
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| H Patel | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 19.00 |
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