Nov. 8: There were doubts whether Australia would be able to hold onto the number one position with ace bowler Glenn McGrath having hung up his boots, Brett Lee injured frequently and Mitchell Johnson not being consistent enough with his performance. However, this series win will certainly silence detractors.
The Aussie victory on Sunday was special as it not only clinched them the series, but also notched up their third successive win against a full-strength Indian side (missing only pacer Zaheer Khan) and handed them an unassailable 4-2 lead with the final ODI in Mumbai now a dead rubber."This series win will certainly be up there with the special victories we’ve had so far," skipper Ricky Ponting said."It’s a remarkable effort considering the number of injuries we have had. There have been players coming straightaway into a match just a day after they landed in this country. However, the challenge for us was to find the means to win matches and continue with the Champions Trophy momentum."There has been some contribution or the other from each and every player in our side, which only proves that we are hard to beat if we play as a group," he proudly announced.The game was more or less, over when Johnson and Doug Bollinger had India wobbling at 27/5 after 10 overs. The Indian batsmen for the umpteenth time messed up as the ball moved around at the initial stages. Ponting, however, made it clear that pitch was not at all deadly but was more in favour of spinners."Well, it was never a 27/5 type wicket. Rather, our bowlers deserve the credit for bowling at the right areas and making the most of what was available. In fact, the pressure was created by us as we had to make an impact with the new ball."Moreover, I too would have batted first on winning the toss as it would get harder to bat later on," he emphasised.No wonder, the Australian captain was all praise for his strike duo — Johnson and Bollinger. "We preferred to rest Mitchell in the previous game. Now the match he comes back, he creates a terrific impact."As for Dougie, he has made use of all opportunities… stepped up right from the game in Delhi when we needed someone to fill the void. Indeed, he has put in a great effort," Ponting said.Expectedly, Bollinger too was over the moon, not only because his five-for, but also for the prized scalp of Sachin Tendulkar. "Dismissing Sachin was well and truly my best wicket. The going has been excellent here, especially after coming through tough tracks in Delhi and Hyderabad," the New South Wales pacer said.
AGE CORRESPONDENTGUWAHATI