MELBOURNE, 25 March 2003 — Australia’s World Cup heroes were set to arrive home from South Africa yesterday after two days of heady celebrations, having accomplished their mission in record-breaking style.
Captain Ricky Ponting’s side extended their world record winning streak in One-Day Internationals to 17 in the tournament final at The Wanderers on Sunday, smashing 359 for two before dismissing India for 234 in a successful title defense.
Batsman Darren Lehmann, a popular member of two World Cup-winning sides, said the celebrations would be completed at top pace before the team returned home to relive the moment with their jubilant fans.
“It’s great to be relaxing now with one of Adam Gilchrist’s cigars” the 32-year-old wrote in a BBC website column.
“We are all going to celebrate solidly now until 5 p.m. on Monday — because that’s when our plane home is (departing).”
Australian television news bulletins showed the players gathered at their Johannesburg dressing room and praised Ponting’s side.
An emotional all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who took 2-7 in the final, told Channel Nine: “There were some tears out there. I can’t describe it... It’s unreal.”
Back in Australia, supporters watched every move made by their team in the final via television. A noisy crowd of about 500 packed into the All-Star Cafe at Melbourne’s Crown restaurant in the early hours of yesterday was typical.
“We had a big crowd and we had a very, very big night on celebration,” restaurant manager Sonia Danielewski told Reuters yesterday.
“We had about 500 people in here and the atmosphere was incredible. It was probably 60-40 India and Australia support.
“They were singing, they were chanting and every ball that got hit, the Aussies would cheer. Every ball that got caught, the Indians would cheer. It was just a really good atmosphere.
“I was yelling out to people one meter away and they couldn’t hear me. It was just a really big atmosphere. They all seemed really excited to be there,” Danielewski added.
Australia’s 1999 World Cup-winning captain Steve Waugh was making no comment yesterday. The 37-year-old Test skipper was dropped from the national one-day side a year ago.
“As far as Steve’s concerned, it’s their (the team’s) day in the sun, not his,” Waugh’s manager Robert Joske told Reuters.
While Sunday’s match result came too late for Australia’s major metropolitan newspapers overnight, the local press were at least able to feast on Ponting’s century.
The 28-year-old Tasmanian struck a masterly 140 not out, sharing an unbroken stand of 234 with Damien Martyn (88 not out).
The country’s only national broadsheet daily The Australian ran a main sports section headline “Ponting pummels India”.
It continued: “Ricky Ponting took his domination of Australia’s post-Waugh limited-overs era to new heights yesterday by smashing the highest score in a World Cup final...”
Columnist Mike Coward wrote in The Australian: “It was a classic example of the defending champions holding their nerve while India lost theirs. The 37 extras were an embarrassment.” The Herald Sun newspaper said: “The fear factor of an Australian team has never been greater than in this tournament.
“Many rival teams have become psyched out even before they take the field.”
Saurav Says Aussies
Are Not Invincible
In Johannesburg, outclassed India captain Saurav Ganguly says world champions Australia’s dominance could not carry on for ever.
“Someone has got to beat them,” Ganguly said a day after the Aussie mean-machine crushed India by 125 runs in the final. “Playing better than them on a particular day is the only way you can do it.”
Australia’s triumph in Sunday’s final was never in doubt after they piled up 359 for two, including a match-winning 140 not out from skipper Ricky Ponting, both World Cup final records. India might have escaped had rain, which forced a 26-minute stoppage, prevented 25 overs being bowled in their innings. In that event the match would have been replayed on Monday with Australia’s innings counting for nothing.
When the players went off they were greeted by the unusual sound of huge cheers from the thousands of fanatical Indian supporters inside the ground.
“It just shows how much they want us to do well,” Ganguly said. “But that’s not the right way to win. Australia played better than us.”
India stuck to their tried and tested formula of only four specialist bowlers — pace trio Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra as well as off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.
That was despite advice from former Australia captain Ian Chappell who, prior to the game, urged Ganguly to recall leg-spinner Anil Kumble. Even though India’s quicks took a terrible hammering from the Australia top order, Ganguly insisted they had got the balance right.
“It all depends if the fifth bowler is an all-rounder who can contribute with the bat.”
Several international captains have lost or given up the leadership of their teams in the wake of World Cup exits.
But left-handed batsman Ganguly insisted quitting was not on the agenda. “I’ll keep on going until I think further.”
If India were to have any chance of reaching Australia’s huge total they needed a big innings from man-of-the-tournament Sachin Tendulkar. But the master batsman managed just four before he was caught and bowled by Australia quick Glenn McGrath in the first over.
