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MARCUS HOOK'S WORLD CUP DIARY 2003 (PART SEVEN)

                   
Monday 10 March: India v Sri Lanka
‘Play to your strengths’ is a motto that should be written up on the whiteboard in the Sri Lankan dressing room. I found it hard to fathom why anyone, except New Zealand perhaps, would put India into bat after winning the toss. As a game plan, giving Muttiah Muralitharan a worn pitch and hoping that a big score could be followed by Chaminda Vaas making early inroads had to be the way to go if you we’re in Sanath Jayasuriya’s shoes this morning. I can only assume he did not want to risk further injuring himself batting, which would have meant not being able to take the field as captain. Instead, the early wickets that Vaas normally produces failed to materialise and India effectively had the game wrapped up by the end of the 26th over, which was bowled by Jayasuriya and which disappeared for sixteen. At the end of it India were 152 without loss and, it seemed, both Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag were on their way to hundreds. That they failed to reach them was a credit to the way Sri Lanka then redeemed themselves, only to end up looking like a non-test playing nation as they collapsed to 15 for four and eventually 109 all out in reply to the Indians’ 292 for six. Sourav Ganguly only used three bowlers, of whom the pick, Javagal Srinath, accounted for four out of the top five. The Indians are now certain of a place in the semi-finals. For Sri Lanka much seems to rest on the fitness of their skipper.

 


Sachin Tendulkar acknowledges the applause for his half-century against
Sri Lanka in the company of his
opening partner Virender Sehwag.

 

New Zealand's Shane Bond appeals successfully for the wicket of Gilchrist.

 

 Tuesday 11 March: Australia v New Zealand
Before today’s match a number of people were saying that if anyone could unsettle Australia, New Zealand could. But as we saw on Saturday, New Zealand’s bowling lacks durability over fifty overs. Shane Bond was inspired, taking six for 23 and helping to reduce the Aussies to 84-7. But the last eleven overs of Australia’s innings went for almost ninety runs, which in the final analysis was ninety runs more than the Kiwis could afford to concede. The architects of Australia’s fourteenth one-day victory in succession were Andy Bichel and Michael Bevan. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it. The pair repeated their exploits against England, adding 97 in 21 overs. It would be churlish to suggest that the chance Bichel gave on three to backward point turned the match. It was a near impossible catch. But as much as the gods were on New Zealand’s side when Brian Lara was run out on the same ground nearly four weeks ago, they deserted them at the wrong time today. In reply, the Kiwis, so often better when they are chasing a score rather than defending one, failed to preserve early wickets. With the departure of Chris Cairns, to a catch on the third man boundary, it mattered not that they still had more than 35 overs in which to score the winning runs.
Wednesday 12 March: Zimbabwe v Kenya
Thanks, in part, to New Zealand, the Kenyans continue to be the tournament’s surprise package, winning today by seven wickets with exactly twenty-four overs to spare. Even though he took six for 28 the last time he faced them, Henry Olonga – making only his second appearance in the World Cup – was unable to exploit the conditions in Bloemfontein as Kenya’s Martin Suji had done. Olonga also contributed nine runs in no-balls and wides to render his opponents’ chase even less demanding. Along with all the trouble his political stand caused, you cannot see him playing again for Zimbabwe for quite some time. I’m sure they would also like to jettison Andy Flower, but since he’s their best batsman, they need him more than he needs them. Last Sunday, however, on Radio Five, I heard Alistair Campbell say that Flower has recently pledged his allegiance to Essex and South Australia. It could well be, therefore, that the 34-year-old left-hander has already decided where his future lies. Changing tack completely, I thought it was a joke at first, but when I see the likes of Richard Hobson and David Hopps putting their names to a story, I know it must be true. They have learnt that the USA will be given automatic entry into the next World Cup in the West Indies in 2007, possibly as minor co-hosts. Worryingly there’s already some talk of a match being played at Disneyland – which is where the Kiwis’ hopes of making the last four could belong by this time on Friday.

 


Thomas Odoyo celebrates bowling
Andy Flower 63 during Zimbabwe's woeful innings of 133.

 

Zaheer Khan accepts the congratulations of his teammates on his way to 4/42.		 Friday 14 March: India v New Zealand
D-day for New Zealand could not have got off to a worse start. After losing the toss, they slumped to 38 for three in the ninth over. It wasn’t exactly according to the script. When Stephen Fleming departed for thirty, 50 minutes later, the game was as good as over. Thanks to Jacob Oram his side limped through to 146 all out, but Zaheer Khan’s return of four for 42 meant that wickets fell at regular intervals. India made an indifferent start themselves, but an assured fourth wicket stand of 129 in 36 overs between Mohammed Kaif and Rahul Dravid saw them reach their objective with more than nine overs to spare. Dravid, criticised himself for his keeping in this World Cup, was dropped by Brendon McCullum after giving a routine chance, on one, off the bowling of Shane Bond. What could have been 22 for four remained 22 for three and the former Kent man never looked back. In the end the Kiwis’ inability to bowl sides out may prove too great a flaw in their makeup to warrant a semi-final berth. Bond, who’s 17 wickets at an average of 17.94 has been a plus point, was not employed fully. Harris and Vettori kept things tight, but were unable to make the breakthrough that would almost certainly have heralded his re-introduction for two final desperate overs. Australia’s semi-final opponents will be confirmed tomorrow when, no doubt, the whole of New Zealand will become Zimbabwe fans for the day.
                   

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