Aussies146; perfect plan: Cut the slash

Australia steamrolled India to win the first of the best of the three finals yesterday. It was simply an awesome performance by the world ch...

Australia steamrolled India to win the first of the best of the three finals yesterday. It was simply an awesome performance by the world champions that literally took the Indians by surprise. Before they realised it, the match was over with the hosts romping home with plenty to spare.

To start with, the Australians made it clear that they had worked out a strategy as to where to bowl to the Indian openers. They changed their line and length. They bowled short of a good length and around the rib cage, rather than around the off stump as they had been bowling in previous games. They didn8217;t allow the Indian batsmen to play the 8216;slash8217; like they had been doing thus far, as they tucked them up and virtually strangled them.

Every great cricketer raises his game as per the importance of the match. Brett Lee, in particular, and Jason Gillespie ran in aggressively and bowled with a lot of fire. They looked focussed and meant business. They bowled fast, straight and into the batsmen. That was what Ricky Ponting expected from his new ball bowlers. And they didn8217;t let him down. In fact, the way Lee cleaned up Tendulkar was a masterpiece in strategy.

The wicket eased out after the initial few overs. As the ball lost its hardness, it came on slower as the wicket became flat and looked full of runs. The Indians played too early at deliveries, especially off the back foot, square on the off side, and succumbed. Though they were resurrected to some extent by a spirited partnership between Badani and Agarkar, the runs on the board were just not enough to make a match of it.

I fully back Ganguly8217;s decision to bat first. India must play to their strength. The wicket had no demon in it like the one at Perth. It was just senseless, poor execution of strokes that was the Indians8217; downfall. Once the Australians found themselves on top and that too early in the innings, they didn8217;t loosen their grip on the proceedings. That8217;s what separates them from the other teams. Their back-up bowlers, though not remotely as good as their new ball bowlers, bowled with their tails up. And that8217;s what made the difference. Their fielding, too, was sharp, and they hit the stumps with alarming regularity.

With Adam Gilchrist giving them a blistering start, only to be continued in the same vein by Ricky Ponting, it was all over bar the shouting. Australia, I am sure, they would like to finish the series at Sydney itself, but the Indians must not lose heart.

They must give it their best shot. The top order batsmen must fire, for they won8217;t get a more opportune time than the one on Sunday.