The fact that anything can happen at any time is both thegreatness and drawback of limited overs cricket. There is littleweightage for form, for confidence or for the past. What happenson the day is the only thing that decides the outcome. The secondlimited overs international between India and Australia played atthe Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Pune on Wednesday saw thevisitors completely outplay India and coast to an eight wicketvictory.
The ever so elegant Mark Waugh, who signaled his return to formwith two half centuries in the final Test at Chennai made animpeccable unbeaten 133, taking Australia to a comfortablevictory. Notching up his 18th one-day century, Mark Waugh is nowbehind only Saeed Anwar (19) and Sachin Tendulkar (26) in the alltime list of century makers. There are few people as unfussy andelegant when in form as Mark Waugh. Tendulkar gives the ball ahard thump, Brian Lara shuffles a lot in his crease but MarkWaugh is simple, precise and a treat to watch. Even the New SouthWelshman's detractors would have to grant that. Scoring 133 ofthe finest runs, Mark Waugh struck the ball to the fence 15 timesand cleared the ropes once.
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But it was not all Mark Waugh. Matthew Hayden, still hungry forruns, continued to milk India at the top of the order. Despitecoming out to the crease with a target of 249, Hayden was calm asever and went about his task of gathering runs with consummateease. In the company of Mark Waugh, Hayden made 57 (116 mins, 81balls, 5 fours, 1 six) and put on 143 for the opening wicket.Despite a mix up and run out of Darren Lehmann just 20 runslater, Australia made it home with almost five overs to spare.Michael Bevan, not out on 33 was at the crease when the winningruns were scored.
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Earlier in the day, when Sourav Ganguly won the toss he had nodoubt in his mind that batting first was the right thing to do.Even the fact that the wicket appeared to be dry and looked likeit had spots on it did not deter the Indian skipper. HemangBadani, batting at number five, relished the captain's decision.Helping himself to his maiden one-day international century,Badani scored at better than run a ball and held the Indianinnings together.
Then again, the Tamil Nadu southpaw had to produce a big innings.Involved in two run outs, Badani would have been keen to push theIndian score on. Stroking the ball around the park incharacteristic fashion, Badani looked calm and composed even asthings fell to pieces around him. Ganguly's woeful form with thebat continued into the second limited overs game. Spending halfan hour at the wicket, Ganguly made just 4 before dragging a ballfrom Glenn McGrath back onto his wicket. Sachin Tendulkar, inaggressive form once more, made a quick 32 (35 mins, 29 balls, 6fours, 1 six) before mistiming a short ball from Damien Flemingto be caught by Darren Lehmann in the midwicket region.
VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid then attempted to replicate theirjoint efforts, employed so successfully in the past in thisseries but failed. In the first of three mix ups in the innings,Dravid (13) was run out.Laxman then settled into a good rhythmand in the company of the fluent Badani went about the task ofrebuilding the innings. The pair managed to add 93 for the fourthwicket before Laxman was run out by Steve Waugh in another mixup. When Badani played the ball to Steve Waugh in the 35th over,Laxman (51, 86 balls, 3 fours) set off for a single withoutwaiting for a call. Scrambling to get back home, Laxman was foundshort by Steve Waugh's throw. Dinesh Mongia making his debut inone-day cricket did not last long, making just two before findinghimself at the wrong end of yet another run out.
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At the fall of Mongia's wicket, India were 157/5 off 36.1 oversand a score of around 220 looked likely. Showing great maturity,Badani raised the bar. After seeing that 200 was a reality,Badani went on to tame the bowling, although his innings was notexcessively dominant. Badani's innings seldom are, the manner inwhich he held out against both pace and spin made him a thorn inAustralia's flesh. When he finally holed out to Lehmann in thedeep, Badani had made exactly 100 (142 mins, 98 balls, 10 fours,2 sixes). India ended with 248/9 off their 50 overs, much morethan what looked likely halfway through the innings.
