In my last article I had mentioned that ‘intent’ and ‘intimidate’ were the two words we used as a theme right through this World Cup. Till the finals they were words you associated with the bowlers, because Lee and McGrath were in such fine form, and the batsmen had not really done as well as they normally do.
However, in the finals, when it mattered most, the top order fired, and I must say that I have never seen a better display of batting from this team. There are two reasons for this. First, there was some movement in the wicket and if the ball hit the right spot, it was tough to play. The Indians bowled many bad balls, but to Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden’s credit, they made even the good balls look ordinary. They intimidated the bowlers with their ability to hit whatever they bowled, and this made things pretty easy for Damien Martyn and myself when we came in to bat. Damien was a doubtful starter since he had a broken finger, but the way he played right through showed immense class and admirable grit. At 125 for two, I did take some time to get into my stride, and it was Damien who ensured that we did not let the run rate drop.
The wicket was lively for as long as 90 minutes but we were soon so confident because we knew that we had done half the job by throwing the Indian bowlers off gear. With 359 for two I knew that we had 100 more than needed, and the aggression with which Lee and McGrath started off was just the icing on the cake. Sachin Tendulkar has often started off like that against us, so we were not surprised. The only thing that surprised me was his shot selection. Sachin generally has a quick eye and rarely plays pre-meditated shots, but his boundary suggested that he was really pumped up, and the next ball showed that he took one risk too many too soon.
The rest of the batsmen looked too much in a hurry to really stay long enough to provide a challenge, and my only worry was the rain. Fortunately for us, justice prevailed and we had a full game.
As captain the win is more important than anything else, but I must admit that the century gave me special pleasure. It certainly is going to rank as my best knock for a long time, and I feel happy that I saved my best for such a great occasion. I am proud of this unit, and of all the players in the squad who responded magnificently whenever there was a crisis or an injury. It’s been a roller-coaster six weeks and it is a testimony to the team’s strength that we have gone through it undefeated. The Indians were worthy finalists and a little unlucky to have one of those days. They played very well right till the finals, and may have been a threat on another day. As things turned out, Sunday was just not their day, and they will have to wait for four years to take another shot. Till then we remain world champions and this is particularly special since we are the first team to win it thrice.
Arab News Sports 25 March 2003
