Sheer humiliation for Twenty20 world champs

Unfortunately, the answer to both questions is yes. And yes, Australia trashed India by nine wickets with skipper and Man of the Match Michael Clarke’s unbeaten 37 easing out the required chase in 11.2 overs. Clearly, India’s bubble has burst, but even in defeat this is far from reality.

The Men in Blue let down 84,041 people who turned out at the MCG on Friday and lakhs back home by staging a two-hour anti-climax that started and ended with a wide — where fielders collided like amateurs to spill a catch, where the team run-rate and the skipper’s strike rate matched up to ‘Test standards’, where none except Irfan Pathan touched double figures, and where the most entertaining performance was by the hot lead singer of the band ‘Rogue Traders’ during the change of innings.

The match was as good as finished after the first four overs where India shed a wicket with each passing over —20/4, and no miracles in store. Clarke the ‘Pup’ bit the team first with a direct throw from backward point to beat Virender Sehwag’s scramble to the non-striker crease after he failed to expect a call from Gautam Gambhir for a quick single. Gambhir, India’s highest run-getter in T20 World Cup, started off with a square-drive for four but succumbed soon enough in his endeavour to get on with the game.

Gambhir and Robin Uthappa fell in their bid to get over the mid-off fielder against Nathan Bracken’s slower stuff, and in between Dinesh Kaarthick, the number three bat, managed a thick edge trying to go for a pull to a short delivery from Lee, but didn’t connect anything to a full toss from him that clocked 155kmph to rattle his sticks.

Rohit Sharma hit India’s final boundary, as much in same fashion against one-change seam-up bowler Ashley Noffke, but was cleaned up quickly that brought in India’s highest scorer Irfan Pathan to the crease. At the other end was Mahendra Singh Dhoni, struggling to time the ball and failing to force the pace. The Indian skipper’s embarrassment was finally put to rest after 27 deliveries that fetched nine runs.

Debutant Praveen Kumar tried to hit over the long-off fielder who stood 75 m away from him, while Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth fell off back-to-back deliveries to the orthodox left-arm spin of Adam Voges.

Then Ishant Sharma, with eight people around him making a mockery of the proceedings and team still ten runs away from the lowest score recorded by Kenya against New Zealand in Durban, managed to stave off the hattrick.

Pathan fell, though, as the last man for 26 as India was bowled out under their allotted set.

It was just a matter of time that Australia would walk in and hit the runs. It was probably how much can India salvage from this lost cause. Australia remained ruthless as Adam Gilchrist and Clarke set out in blazing fashion. The latter hit the first six of the match to a slower delivery from Sreesanth and Gilchrist, in his final T20 appearance, hooked Praveen Kumar five rows over fine-leg fence. Gilchrist fell next ball, trying to clear long-on but Gambhir caught it safe to hand Praveen his first wicket.

That was the only cheer to the Indian camp as Dhoni kept shuffling his bowlers and changing ends with little effect. Clarke could have been seen off too, but Pathan and Harbhajan both ran towards deep mid-wicket as big roars from the crowd prevented them from hearing each other’s call to collide and the ball popped out of Pathan’s hands.

Very soon the agony was over and the fireworks came off in spectacular fashion. Pity there weren’t many to watch. The spectators tonight missed it all.

Skipper-speak

MS Dhoni

We lost too many early wickets and in the middle overs we found it too hard to decide whether to go after the bowlers or rotate the strike. The guys forgot their roles and responsibilities in the team. We stepped into each other’s shoes and players who should have played their strokes, they were playing some other game. The guys can bounce back. It’s a test of character and I think they have it.

Michael Clarke

We were very well prepared. We had done extensive preparation on the Indian team. Our execution was exactly how we wanted it and you’ll see more and more of that from the Australian Twenty20 team. We’re working toward becoming the world’s best Twenty20 side and tonight was a great start, beating the world champions. We’ll take a lot of momentum and confidence into the one-day series.

Scoreboard

India: G Gambhir c Hopes b Bracken 9, V Sehwag run out 0,D Karthik b Lee 8, R Uthappa c D Hussey b Bracken 1, R Sharma b Hopes 8, MS Dhoni c Lee b D Hussey 9, I Pathan c Gilchrist b Bracken 26, P Kumar c Voges b Noffke 6, H Singh c Clarke b Voges 1, Sreesanth c Hodge b Voges 0, I Sharma not out 3

Extras (w 3) 3; Total (all out, 17.3 overs) 74

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-12, 3-20, 4-20, 5-32, 6-49, 7-60, 8-63, 9-63

Bowling: Lee 3-0-13-1, Bracken 2.3-1-11-3, Noffke 4-0-23-1, Hopes 3-0-10-1, Hussey 3-0-12-1, Voges 2-0-5-3

Australia: A Gilchrist c Gambhir b Kumar 25, M Clarke not out 37, B Hodge not out 10

Extras (1b, 1lb, 1w) 3

Total (for one wicket, 11.2 overs) 75

Fall of wickets: 57-1

Bowling: Pathan 3-0-18-0, Sreesanth 3-0-25-0, Kumar 2-0-15-1, Ishant 1.2-0-8-0, Harbhajan 2-0-7-0