Brilliant Lara century in vain

Roshan Paul

Even a brilliant century by Brian Lara was not enough to stop the Australians from beating the West Indies by a margin of 28 runs. Lara was spearheading an unlikely fightback when rain intervened to leave the West Indies at 211/8 in 42.4 overs. According to the Duckworth/Lewis formula, the West Indies should have been at 239 at that stage. Thus, when the match was declared abandoned, the West Indies were 28 runs short.

As Richie Benaud said, if ever there was a match in which fielding was the difference between the teams, it was this one. The West Indies dropped at least 4 simple catches while the Australians fielded brilliantly. Shane Warne and Damien Martyn took outstanding catches to dismiss Jacobs and Campbell just when they were beginning to settle down. Besides this, the Australian ground fielding was impeccable as ever while the Windies misfielded often.

Earlier, the Australians went into the Sydney game with their self-confidence high. This was evident from their decision to rest Brett Lee and play Ian Harvey instead. On an overcast day, the West Indies opted to play an extra seamer in Colin Stuart at the expense of Mahendra Nagamootoo.

Since the SCG usually helps the spinners, it was a surprising decision and one which cost them dearly as the Australians rattled up 277/4 with the last over, bowled by Stuart, going for 15 runs.

Before that, however, the Australians were given another great start by Adam Gilchrist (40, 46b, 2x4) and Mark Waugh (58, 94b, 5x4). The partnership, worth 98 in 21 overs, was unusual in that Waugh, despite a strike rate of about 50, managed to outscore the aggressive Gilchrist right through.

When both openers fell in quick succession, Ricky Ponting (93, 74b, 7x4) took centrestage, with a bang. The Tasmanian flayed the West Indies bowlers all around the SCG in an innings that put the match out of the reach of the Windies. He was dropped early on by Nixon McClean, a sitter at short fine-leg. Ponting took full advantage of this let-off in an audacious innings that peaked in a 59 run partnership of only 38 balls with Damien Martyn, who only contributed 11.

Ponting was also dropped twice more but by this time, he had done most of his damage. It was ironic that Ponting finally fell to a spectacular catch by Jimmy Adams, whose personal fielding standard was of the highest class.

The West Indies got off to a decent start in terms of runs but lost wickets too regularly, mostly due to some brilliant Australian fielding. They were given a sniff off a chance when Lara (116 n.o., 106b, 10x4, 2x6) and Ricardo Powell (28, 37b, 3x4) got together in an entertaining 67 run partnership.

But then Shane Warne (3/62) struck a double blow to leave the Windies reeling at 166/8. At this point, Lara began to farm the strike and launched a ferocious counter-attack on the Australian spin duo of Warne and Andrew Symonds.

Although a West Indian victory was improbable, it was disappointing that the match had to end the way it did. A heavy downpour forced the players off the field and the match was abandoned. Lara was deservedly declared man-of-the match.

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