Australia crash-tackled and shoulder-charged but it was India who last night finally up-ended the world champions with a tri-series finals whitewash.
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The jubilant Indians finished their controversial tour in triumph with a nail-biting nine-run win at the Gabba to send Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist into retirement in defeat.
A career-best 63 from James Hopes ensured the second final went down to the wire with the home side needing 13 off the last over but he fell on the third last ball.
Instead of a fitting one-day farewell for retiring wicketkeeper Gilchrist, it was controversial spinner Harbhajan Singh who laughed last and loudest.
Australia’s loss saw them crashing out of the best-of-three finals series in straight sets for the second consecutive season as they never fully recovered from another top-order collapse in chasing India’s 9-258.
Gilchrist lasted just three balls, walking for two after edging behind rookie Praveen Kumar in the first over, in his final international match.
Swing discovery Kumar (4-46) proved the destroyer with the man-of-the-match reducing Australia to 3-32, before a fightback by fishing mates Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds.
But just when the Queenslanders had got back on level ground with an freewheeling 89-run stand, Harbhajan undid both within three balls.
Hayden (55 off 68) walked off giving Symonds a gobful after a mid-pitch mix-up which finished with Harbhajan running out the opener.
Two balls later, India celebrated like they had the series wrapped up when the spinner trapped Symonds (42 off 56) plumb leg before.
“I just felt that (Symonds) wicket would mean we would be left one wicket short at the end, and that’s how it worked out,” lamented skipper Ricky Ponting, whose poor form continued with another failure.
After an intense summer full of controversy and distractions, Ponting declared there were no excuses for his team who “stumbled at the last hurdle” like they did against England last season.
He believed Australia may have to re-think their approach to future one day tournaments after finishing the tri-series with three straight losses.
“There would be a lot of teams lining up to play against us the way we’ve played the last two games,” he said.
Symonds’ innings included a rib-rattling shoulder charge of a streaker just after he came to the crease with his team in dire straits.
It’s unlikely the all-rounder, an avid rugby league fan, will find himself in hot water for the pole-axing.
The shoulder charge came hours after a frustrated Michael Clarke crash tackled the in-form Sachin Tendulkar when the opener inadvertently prevented him fielding a shot off his own bowling.
A second streaker invaded the ground when Mike Hussey and Hopes were mounting a second rescue mission, entering the field from long-off behind Harbhajan who immediately complained to umpire Simon Taufel.
The distraction also got the better of Hussey (44 off 42) who edged behind Shantha Sreesanth that over to end their 76-run stand when 60 were needed off 48 balls.
Looking to send the finals series to a decider in Adelaide, Hopes kept the home side in the hunt until the final over.
In what is likely to be the last triangular series, Australia’s failure marks the first time in 23 years the host nation has been knocked out of back-to-back tournaments.
After winning the toss and batting, India were eying a 300-plus total with first-final hero Tendulkar (91 off 121 balls) in control at 2-175 in the 35th over.
But part-time spinner Clarke (3-52) was the surprise innings-turner for the world champions before player of the series Nathan Bracken (3-31) followed up.
India’s title win justified the omissions of veterans Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.
“It’s very important because I believe this is a building stage of my team because of our youngsters,” said Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
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mudskipper said | March 5th 2008 @ 9:38am | Report comment
Congratulations India….from an Aussie…The Australian team need to get over their self importance, furthermore their belief of their golden age of Australian cricket. The Neo Untouchables and all that rubbish…They have been the worst sledging team for years. They proudly state that they’re only answerable to the team, well boys you represent Australia and your behaviour is answerable to the Australian public…and it’s poor and disreputable…We are all answerable for our own actions…
One last thing the Golden Numbers and Trim on the one day uniform is exceedingly pretentious…. The worst summer of Australian cricket I can remember….That nonsense is going on in the Australian change rooms and where is the leadership? If it continues Pointing should go and get a leadership a Captain that can contain the teams’ behaviour…
Millster said | March 5th 2008 @ 11:11am | Report comment
I agree Mudskipper. Thank god this cricketing summer is over. Some decent periods of play, but overall it has been downright embarassing to behold – cynical gamesmanship and terrible attitude both on and off the field. I say that equally of the Aussies and Indians.
Phil Coorey said | March 5th 2008 @ 12:43pm | Report comment
I was so excited when we lost last night. We needed this season to end quickly.
Harry said | March 5th 2008 @ 12:53pm | Report comment
Yep time to rebuild for a few seasons. However lets hope this isn’t the start of long term decline like the Reds, West Indies, Welsh rugby
Reg said | March 5th 2008 @ 12:54pm | Report comment
lets see some new faces in the team.
Haddin, Hussey (the other one), Voges, Ronchi, White, Heal, Doherty, Hilfenhaus, Nofke.
A new broom so to speak.
cosmos forever said | March 5th 2008 @ 1:33pm | Report comment
What was amazing about last night’s game (aside from it not being a sell-out AND the fact that is is now two tri-series losses in a row for the ‘the unbeatables’) was the way Australia lost crucial wickets at crucial times.
Each time they looked like getting on top another one would go. It will be very interesting to see how other cricketing nations react to this loss – I reckon you might see more than just Harbi and the Indians taking on the Aussies on and off the park from now on.
Australia looked a bit like a bully that had been kissed goodbye by his mum at the school gates in front of the class…
Thank god this season is over!
spiro zavos said | March 5th 2008 @ 1:42pm | Report comment
Several things have come out of this cricket season. Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne are impossible to replace. Brett Lee has risen to the occasion but there is no obvious replacement for Warne, who was a wicket-taker and an economical stock bowler wrapped up in one roly-poly package. The Australian team is now too old compared with India with its 19 year-old fast bowler and leg-spinner, both facing test and ODI careers of 10 years.
For years it was been easy selecting the Australian test and ODI sides. Now it becomes hard as the selectors have to make tough decisions about rejunevating a side that has grown old, successfully.
I wonder, too, if the Australian side has lost some of its mojo with the criticism of its vicious sledging tactics.
I was not impressed with Michael Clarke tackling Sachin Tendulkar, nor with Brett Lee’s beam-ball to Tendulkar the game before when he was in the 90s. Am I being unduly suspicious but why Tendulkar singled out both times?
Lee claims the beam ball was accidental. Tendulkar has accepted the explanation.
The beam ball hit Tendulkar on the shoulder. Lee’s beam balls seem, in my opinion, to be accurate (something that, say, Harmison’s wayward balls aren’t). Generally, too, they are batsmen who are in the process of winning the game for the opponents of Australia (see the beam balls at NZ’s Brendon MacCullum a season or two ago).
El Capitan said | March 5th 2008 @ 1:56pm | Report comment
Intresting point Spiro.
Perhaps on another matter, its time for Ponting to hand the leadership to Clarke for the ODI and for him to focus on test cricket? It happened to previous captains before him. Time to send in some new blood and new faces of Australian cricket, and faces that will be with the team in years to come.
mudskipper said | March 5th 2008 @ 2:32pm | Report comment
Ponting can bat and place a good field but he isn’t a Captain…He not a leader… His media interviews are just photo opportunities with nothing to say… full of shoulder shrugs and no comments. He doesn’t know what to say or do… more over what is the right thing to say, he is visibly baffled…Its a good time to find a new leader…
sportym said | March 5th 2008 @ 9:41pm | Report comment
Right now i am working in the UK, and my work mates were surprised when i was not upset that Australia lost. My responce was bascially that the team has become so arrogant that many australians cannot associate with them. Though they maybe the best in the work, the way the carry on, is very un-australian. How bad is it when Australians support the opposition??? They remind me of Hewitt when he was in from and winning tennis matches….a spoiled brat that had his hime crowd booing him.
What australia needs is a captain that will bring some respectability to the team. Pointing has to go, though a good cricketer, a horrible and uncharismatic leader that fuels the arrogance of the current team. I was home for xmas, and when australia beat india to equal the 17 straight wins or whatever it was, the was pointing carried on as captain, was plain disgusting, not matter what nationality you are, and as an australian that was plain BS. Get rid of the spoiled little brat. His attitude reminds me on matt henjak……with less punching…