Hunters become the hunted

In the earlier game against the same opposition in the tournament, Smith had successfully connected the same bowler and — unlike yesterday when he was seen as irresponsible — was hailed as the inspirational leader. It’s just a few centimeters that separate these wildly contrasting opinions.

GC Smith b Bracken 2 (10b, 5m), Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Smith, 2.3 overs) are the two mentions on the scoreboard of the World Cup semi-final that will be blamed for South Africa’s another disappointing exit. The reason behind this dismissal could be merely a miniscule misjudgment of the trajectory of the ball or the slightest flaw in footwork. But it is convenient to blame it on ‘choking’ by flaunting those over-used past statistics.

Ponting himself showed a chronic allergy to the C-word. “I’ve never used that word in my life and to tell you the truth and I won’t. They were outplayed by a better team, as simple as that. One-day cricket can be like that sometimes. I’m not going to sit here and call them chokers,” he said.

Smith, meanwhile, helplessly contended that it had nothing to do with the chokers’ tag. But things like a bad day at office or the opposition having a fine day are seen as too cliches that losing captains always use. It was always so easy to generalise the big match loss as a case of nerves that it was tough to try and understand the other possible reasons for an abject surrender of a team that just a few days back was the top-ranked one-day outfit.

Now take the next vital turning-point-wicket of the semi-final that even slots Jacques Kallis in the stereotypical sweaty palm South African. Kallis, after hitting a Glenn McGrath to the fence, tried a similar shot again. It is a ploy that had worked against the Aussies in the group game and all Kallis was trying to do was to go on the tried and tested path.

At the group stage the South Africans had targeted McGrath and they had come up with a creditable performance. Even in the Super Eights game against New Zealand, Kallis had partly succeeded to hit himself out of trouble. Yesterday, however, when he tried to give himself room and advance to meet the ball, McGrath yorked him.

Even Adam Gilchrist had a minor misjudgment later in the day. So can he, too, be slotted as the man not good enough for the big occasion? Restrained aggression will be something that will come in focus before the title game between Sri Lanka and Australia in a few days’ time.

A day before the final there will be theories floating around about how the Sri Lankans need to seize the initiative from Australia and, to stop their momentum, try and attack initially. There will be suggestions about how Sanath Jayasuriya should take on new ball bowlers or even disturb McGrath’s rhythm.

In case it works Jayasuriya will be hailed as the man with a big-match temperament. But if he misses the line slightly, he would be written off as an ageing veteran with fading hand-eye coordination. “He used to be great in 1996 but not in 2007,” they will moan.

Restrained aggression is easy to suggest, but almost impossible to implement. It’s something the winners always possess while the rest are chokers.

TRIVIA

• With their defeat of South Africa in the semi-final, Australia became the first team to complete fifty wins in the World Cup.

• Australia cruised into their fourth successive and sixth overall World Cup final.

• Australian captain Ricky Ponting and fast bowler Glenn McGrath equalled Pakistan’s Wasim Akram’s record of most matches (38) in World Cup. Akram has played the same number of matches between 1987 and 2003.

• South Africa’s total of 149 is their lowest ever total in World Cup. Their previous lowest was 184 against Bangladesh at Providence earlier in this edition.

• It was only the second time a team batting first was dismissed for less than 150 in a World Cup semi-final. The first instance was in the first event in 1975, when England were bundled out for 93 in 36.2 overs against Australia at Headingley.

• It was only the third instance of a team losing half their side for less than 35 in a World Cup semi-final. The first two instances were both in that same Headingley game between England and Australia.

• Matthew Hayden has become only the second batsman—after Sachin Tendulkar—to get to the 600-run mark in a single World Cup. Hayden’s tally is currently 621 from 10 matches.

• Glenn McGrath became the first bowler to take 25 wickets in a single World Cup.

• This is the second time Glenn McGrath has taken 25 or more wickets in a limited overs international matches series. He got 27 in the Carlton & United Series in Australia in 1998-99.

• Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist’s four dismissals in the South African innings is the third time he has managed at least four in a match in a World Cup. Gilchrist now has a record 49 dismissals in 30 World Cup matches.

• McGrath received his sixth Man of the Match award in 38 World Cup matches. Only Sachin Tendulkar (eight awards in 36 matches) has more such awards in the World Cup.

—S PERVEZ QAISER