Even the shrewdest of skippers do make mistakes. What could have been a pulsating, typically antipodean one-day match ended before a ball was bowled when Stephen Fleming, having won the toss, inexplicably chose to bat. Nine overs later, half his team were back in the pavilion with 21 runs on the board and another Australian win became a formality. For the record, the TVS Cup match at the Nahar Singh Stadium here saw New Zealand scoring 97, the third time they had been dismissed by the Australians for less than 100. The Australians finished off the game in 16.4 overs — the entire match lasting only 50.2 overs — for the loss of two wickets, with Gilchrist making a quickfire 29 and Matthew Hayden remaining unbeaten on 51. SCOREBOARD NEW ZEALAND C Nevin lbw Bracken (2b) 0 S Fleming c Gilchrist b Bracken (17b) 2 L Vincent c Bichel b Williams (11b) 0 S Styris c Ponting b Williams (12b, 2x4) 7 C McMillan lbw Bichel (59b, 2x4) 24 J Oram c Gilchrist b Bracken (3b) 0 C Harris lbw Harvey (48b, 2x4) 14 B McCullum c Martyn b Williams (13b, 1x4) 5 D Vettori lbw Harvey (5b) 0 P Hitchcock c Hayden b Williams (19b, 2x4) 10 D Tuffey not out (15b) 3 Extras: (lb-12, nb-2, w-18) 32 Total: (all out in 33.4 overs) 97 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-11, 3-11, 4-20, 5-21, 6-73, 7-77, 8-80, 9-80 Bowling: Bracken 9-2-25-3, Williams 9.4-1-22-4, Bichel 7-0-29-1, Harvey 8-2-9-2 AUSTRALIA A Gilchrist c and b Oram (18b, 1x6, 5x4) 29 M Hayden not out (53b, 1x6, 7x4) 51 R Ponting c McCullum b Tuffey (27b, 2x4) 12 D Martyn not out (4b) 2 Extras: (lb-5, nb-2) 7 Total: (For 2 wkts, in 16.4 overs) 101 Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-90 Bowling: Tuffey 6.4-0-51-1, Oram 7-1-31-1, Hitchcock 2-0-8-0, Vettori 1-0-6-0 Result: Australia win by 8 wickets Next match: Saturday -India vs Australia (Mumbai) And though Australia’s cause was helped by the excellent bowling of second-string seamers Brad Williams (man of the match) and Nathan Bracken, the talking point was Fleming’s decision to bat first. Yesterday, after a good look at the wicket, the Kiwi skipper had said that he would bowl first to take full advantage of the moisture and the grass on the wicket. What made him change his mind this morning will remain a mystery — ‘‘we missed a trick’’, he later said — but perhaps his gameplan was to do to Australia what India had done at Gwalior. Fleming’s error, though, allowed the Australians to prove one thing beyond doubt: given favourable conditions, even their second-string bowlers can rise to the occasion. In the absence of McGrath, Gillespie and Lee, southpaw Bracken and Williams seamed the ball both ways and generated pace off a wicket that had even bounce. The early morning moisture on the ‘covered’ wicket and the grass left on it didn’t do any harm. Nor the inability of the Kiwis to apply themselves to the task. Four of their batsmen fell leg before wicket, trying to play within the crease, without moving their feet much. The very second ball of the day saw Chris Nevin play back to Bracken and find himself plumb in front. Later, McMillan (to Bichel), Harris and Vettori (to Harvey) fell in similar fashion. I just focused on line: Williams Brad Williams would not have made it to the current tour of India had Australia’s first-choice fast bowlers Brett Lee, Glen McGrath and Gillespie been available. The trio’s absence due to injury has come as a blessing in disguise for the Western Australian quickie who inspired the Australians to an emphatic eight-wicket win over Australia in the tri-series at Faridabad today. His 4-22 off 9.4 overs was his career-best in only his seventh one-day international. ‘‘I just tried to run in and hit the wicket,” Williams said in his post-match comments.’’ Williams appeared happy that he’d justified the faith placed in him by the selectors and skipper. ‘‘Before the start of today’s match, Ricky (Ponting) told me to concentrate on the line and not rely too much on pace. I did just that,’’ he said. (ENS) Fleming played Bracken with an angled bat to follow the ball into Gilchrist’s gloves. Oram was dismissed in the same fashion. Vincent played a pull off Williams too soon and skied for Bichael to take an easy catch at mid-off. Styris snicked the same bowler to Ponting and slips. Martyn took a stunner in front of square-leg umpire David Shepherd to see the back of McCullum. If there was a blemish to the bowling, it was the number of extras — 32, the highest scorer for New Zealand. Williams sent down nine wides, Bichel seven, an indication of the swing and seam the Australians were able to get. The Australian reply was typically swift and brutal, Gilchrist in particular giving the impression that he wanted to finish off the game before lunch. It didn’t actually end that way but Ponting couldn’t have minded. His side have clearly bounced back from Sunday’s defeat and have recovered their verve and swagger. It’s all set, then, for a cracker at the Wankhede on Saturday.
