Aussies have reached yet another finals... But this is their first time on a T20 world-cup.
The toss was won by Michael Clarke, he chose to bowl. I was totally surprised by the decision, and the Pakistani openers too made sure the Aussies paid their price for giving away the chance to really have the upper hand. And the elder Akmal along with Salman Butt started the proceedings really well. At the half way mark Pakistan were 85 for the loss of one wicket, and Akmal was had already departed the previous over. I hoped that now Aussies will really put pressure on the Pakistanis and they will suddenly take the momentum, the eleventh over by David Hussey was a good tight one. Clarke brought in his leg spinner for his second over, Steven Smith. It immediately yielded the reward and Butt was out first ball. Then the young Akmal starts his fight back, he blasts the very next ball by Smith for a boundary. The score moves steadily and the Pakistanis are taking almost 8 an over. then Hussey gets Afridi, who had looked out place in this whole series. Nothing serious than his 30 odd runs in the Super 8. Then Khalid Latif starts from one end and Akmal take over from him and the onslaught is on Aussies. They amass a huge total for Aussies to chase, 191 for 6 in 20 overs.
The Aussies start up by loosing Warner the very first over. Watson looks promising and hits few boundaries before he too is a victim to young Aamer, who is looking very promising at this stage. But yea, it was the same told bout many Pakistani players and a very few have survived. The Haddin, Clarke duo steadily puts a partnership and Haddin is looking good. Clarke in my opinion he is not at all a T20 player. He has a strike rate of 105 something and I really think he would not be in the playing 11 if he wasn't the captain. And the spinners start operating, Rehman gets the valued wicket of Haddin and the Aussies are 58 for 3 in 7.2 overs. Clarke departs the next over and Afridi takes his opposite number. That wicket actually was really helpful in my opinion because chasing 192, Clarke had taken only 17 if the 19 deliveries he faced.
Enters Cameroon White, the inform batsman and one of the clean hitters of a cricket ball in this modern era of Cricket. And the recovery begins with nudging singles in the next few balls. Then White goes for the ones he is famous for and hits Afridi for 2 consecutive sixes. And that shows why he is the captain of Victoria team. He manages to get a six in the next 2 overs and the pair is looking promising. And the Pakistanis strike back again with the wicket of D Hussey. And the elder Hussey enters the arena. White facing Ajmal in over 14 and all the 6 balls he tries to hit the bowler out of the park and the bowler wins all the time. It was one of the best overs of the innings and the pressure is back on Aussies at 112 for 5. White manages another six next over and he is a genius. The required run rate at that stage goes to 14 per over. And the humidity and the spinners are really taking over the Aussies. Thats what I thought, but Hussey opens up in the next Afridi over and hits couple of sixes to make sure that the pressure is not dumped on only one (White's) shoulder. But Afridi the Captain brings on his young fast bowler, and he takes the most valuable wicket of the match for pakistan, Cameroon White holes out at long off. Frankly I lost all hope with Aussies needing 53 from 21 balls.
Very next over Ajmal gets rid of Smith who managed a boundary the first ball he faced. Aussies are 144 for 7 and Johnson on strike. Aussies need 48 from 17 balls. Johnson manages a boundary and he rotate the strike to Mike Hussey or I should say the Mr. Cricket. From nowhere Hussey pulls off a 6 of Ajamal who had tied up the fiery White in his early over, and Hussey keeps the strike. Aussies need 34 of the last 12 balls. An improbable score I thought, but Mr Cricket shows why he is the best for these kind of situations and pulls off a 16 run over. Aussies needs 18 of the last 6 balls. Afridi as planned gives the ball to his trusty spinner Ajmal, who really has a very special Doosra very much similar to the very own creator of Doosra, Saqlain Mustaq. Ajmal is lucky and has Johnson on strike as Hussey had hit a much needed boundary on the last ball of the previous over. Ajmal have to do only one thing ad that was to keep Hussey off the strike. But Johnson gets an edge of a very good yorker and the batsmen scamper a single. Hussey is on strike and Australia needs 17 of 5 balls. I have got up from my chair and have all my fingers crossed for the miracle that has to happen and the miracle did happen. Hussey pulls Ajmal for a clean six and that settles it all and I suddenly see the route to the World-cup finals for the Aussies. Ajmal had dropped that delivery short and had to pay the price. He bowls a straighter and much fuller one to Hussey and guess what the result is the same and Hussey gives it the right treatment. He goes down on his knee and smack that straight back over the bowlers head for a huge six. And the equation reads Aussies needs 5 of the last 3 balls. Ajmal finds himself against the ultimate finisher in world Cricket (along with Bevan) and he really is under a lot of pressure. Who would have thought anybody will be hitting boundaries as good as Hussye and that too which were very much needed. The pressure is there and Ajmal bowls a length ball on the off stump, and Mr Cricket crunches it over the point fielder and gets a boundary. The scores are level and Aussies need just 1 run off the last ball and guess what? Hussey clears his front foot and swung the ball over long on and it sails over the rope. Aussies beat Pakistan by 3 wickets and with one ball remaining. Unbelievable Cricket by Hussey.
I had read this before on Cricinfo -
John Arlott had written about it in 1948 at the end of a successful tour of England by Don Bradman's men. ""Australianism," wrote Arlott, "means single-minded determination to win - to win within the laws but, if necessary, to the last limit within them. It means where the 'impossible' is within the realm of what the human body can do, there are Australians who believe that they can do it - and who have succeeded often enough to make us wonder if anything is impossible to them. It means they have never lost a match - particularly a Test match - until the last run is scored or their last wicket down."
Mike Hussey really is Mr. Cricket. Even Sachin would agree with that.
Australianism Prevails...
Reminiscences
11 months ago
