The Australians know they are in for a fight. They would surely have watched the manner in which India dismissed the Kenyan ambitions and entered the finals for only the second time in the history of the World Cup. This is the third time in three years that they have entered the finals of a tournament where the world’s best teams are participating. They have been in the two finals of the Champions Trophy and now this one the World Cup something which even the Australians have not done. True they lost the finals to an inspired New Zealand team in Kenya in 2000 and then shared the trophy with Sri Lanka in 2002 after rain prevented the game from taking place on both the days. So will it be third time lucky for India?
On a day when rain was around and threatened to even up the competition for Kenya it was important that India put enough runs on the board so that if it came to the Duckworth-Lewis method, then Kenya would have a big total to chase. Thanks to the great form Tendulkar is in, they got off to a confident start and it was good to see Sehwag making an effort to play himself in. For far too long he has been making statements like he will play his natural attacking game which is fine but it has to be a long innings and not a brief one and for that to happen he has to be more selective in the deliveries he goes after. He did that admirably and looked none the worse for it and that should prove to him that one can make a contribution to the team by hanging in there with the form player and helping the team get a good solid start. Making sacrifices for the team is good team spirit and not just stubbornly doing ones own thing. Maybe now that he has had a pretty useful stay out there he will produce the blinder that all India is waiting for in the finals. That would also be the best thing as public memory is short and so everybody will forget his earlier knocks.
No one will forget the contributions of Tendulkar and Ganguly with the bat. Both have been in tremendous form, especially in the latter part of the event. Ganguly, with three centuries, has now got most hundreds in a single World Cup with one match still to be played. It was the way the little champion paced his innings that gave Ganguly the cue and the skipper followed that by making sure there were no alarms, and then as the bowling wilted, they went after it with a vengeance.
Kaif is still to get his timing and he was lucky to get away with a run-out appeal from the third umpire when a similar dive and similar appeal later in Kenya’s innings was given out. But then these decisions have a history of going in favor of the big sides whether it is international cricket or first class cricket. Yuvraj for once could play his natural game and he showed just why he is regarded as one of the longest hitters in Indian cricket with some powerful shots. Ganguly also became the biggest six hitter in this competition so it’s turning out to be a good World Cup for him.
Kenya still had a chance if they got off to a good start and got to 90 without loss and if the rains then stopped the game, then by the Duckworth-Lewis method they would have won. That of course was a long shot considering the way the Indian bowlers are bowling. Zaheer got the first wicket with a fast full-length delivery and thereafter it was a procession of sorts as the Kenyans hardly put up any resistance.
Arab News Sports 23 March 2003
