It was a dream innings from the captain

Captain courageous. That's what Steve Waugh was, and my word, what an innings he played to win the match for Australia. Any batsman worth...

Captain courageous. That8217;s what Steve Waugh was, and my word, what an innings he played to win the match for Australia. Any batsman worth his salt would dream of playing such an innings and especially in a match that was a do-or-die encounter. Given the circumstances, Waugh8217;s innings would rank among the very best I8217;ve seen in one-day cricket. Certainly, it would have been an irony had Zimbabwe made it to the semi-finals at the expense of Australia for the simple reason that they had not won a Super six match.

South Africa were without the injured Kallis, possibly the best all-rounder in the world who is in pretty good nick. It was sure a big setback for them, but they looked a formidable outfit nevertheless. Their reserve strength is such that they did not feel the absence of Kallis.

Australia struggled with their attack. Only Glenn McGarth looking menacing and Fleming lending him some genuine support. The rest, including Warne, posed no threat to the batsmen. Much was expected of Warne, but he is notthe bowler prior to the shoulder operation. He seems to have to lost the curve in the air and fizz off the wicket.

The Indians were the ones who handled Warne best. Especially the deliveries pitched on leg stump which were swept effectively. That forced Warne to alter his line to middle and off, only to be driven over extra cover much to his dismay. Against a rampaging Robin Singh and Ajay Jadeja Warne looked absolutely helpless. In comparison, the Englishmen and the South Africans merely tried to drive him on the on side and met with limited success. Rarely did they play the sweep, making Warne appear effective.

South Africa have a high class batsman in Daryll Cullinan. He is elegant and is well balanced while driving off either foot. In fact, his footwork is so precise that it allows him to position himself perfectly to execute his shots. A lot was expected of him in this World Cup, but has hardly lived up to his reputation.

Herschelle Gibbs, a much talked about batsman, came good at the right time.It was a treat to watch the running between wickets when Jonty Rhodes joined him. By taking ones and twos they set about repairing the run rate.

On the other hand, Lance Klusener thrashed everything in sight. He has been doing just that in this World Cup, and on Sunday he continued in the same vein.In one-day cricket, more often than not, if a team loses early wickets, they find themselves at the receiving end for the remainder of the match. But the Aussies reversed the trend on Sunday as Steve Waugh took up the challenge and Ricky Ponting obliged by playing second fiddle. They discovered weak links in South African attack 8212; Nicky Boje and Hansie Cronje 8212; to attack them in style. The ploy worked splendidly, and once they were settled the other bowlers were made to suffer too.

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This World Cup, thus far, had not witnessed many close finishes, but this match, was certainly worth going miles to see. It was cricket out of the top drawer, and the game was undoubtedly the winner.