Phew !…Heart has started beating again….India at 180 odd for 5 with set Virat Kohli having holed out a juicy full toss from David Hussey to short midwicket,Gambhir trying desperately to get run out and succeeding the third time ! and Dhoni squaring it to Point…..last recognised pair Yuvraj and Raina at the crease and chasing 261 to win….run a ball…..could hear the Silence all over India !…the debate was yet out that Yusuf Pathan should have played intead of Raina…one more wicket would have exposed India’s lower order
But Man of the Match Yuvraj and Raina took India home sharing an unbeaten sixth wicket partnership of 74 runs….Three Times consecutive World cup Cricket ODI Champions,Australia were knocked out of the 2011 World Cup….Captain Ponting’s ton going in vain…..the match was poised to go down to the wire….but Yuvraj thrashed Bret Lee for 14 runs in an over and of another 13 runs were scored….Batting Powerplay commenced in the 46th over with a Six of the first ball of a Lee over by Raina…… Australian Players bodies sagged and it was clear they had given up the fight….In fact Ponting missed a trick….he should have tightened his field when Kohli and Gambhir were milking them for singles…..the Australians gave us 50 to 60 runs too easy
Was watching the match with friends…blew the IPL ‘Mumbai Indians’ big horns (like vuvuzelas) to celebrate India’s win and had some Coke Float….
We play Pakistan in the Semi Finals in Mohali on Wednesday,March 30,2011 and Dhoni may not change this winning combination….Pathan may get a game only if Sehwag does not pass a fitness test….Sehwag was included today after passing one…Mohali wicket will need two seamers….Munaf Patel may be persisted with as Nehra has cost us a game already and temperamental Sreesanth has yet to get a game
One thing is sure….atleast one country from the subcontinent will feature in the Finals at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday,April 2,2011
For the QF my Son has gone to Ahmedabad with friends and my nephew from New Zealand who’s come down specially for the World Cup….he just called me saying the organisation was simply awful at the stadium…but it has been worth it…that they freaked out is an understatement…he has lost his voice !….he’s begging me to arrange tickets for the Mohali Semi Finals !…it’s a big one between two traditional rivals….Pakistan has never beaten us in the World Cups so far !….Such a clash is always a Huge Bonanza for the Organisers,the TV Channels broadcasting the match live and even I daresay for the Bookies !
…..and the Finals !?….India will make it and win it too….we have to because I hold tickets !
3 thoughts on “Heart’s beating again !….India knock out three times consecutive World Cup Cricket ODI Champions Australia in the QF”
Semis against pakistan! what a match its going to be. Reminds me of Wills 1996, where Sachin performance knock pakistan off the semis meeting Sri Lanka. Lets do it again this time Sachin!
Actually it was apna Sidhu in the 96 WC quarter final against Pak, scoring superb 93..and the most memorable moment of Indian cric in WC..when Prasad ousted Aamir Sohail after that consecutive fours..
still remember that full match so much in detail till now 🙂
It was a fantastic and emotionally charged and exhausting World Cup 1996 QF between arch rivals India and Pakistan…I remember three clear moments….when Jadeja simply ‘jadoed’ Waqar Yonus and another for 40 + runs in three to four overs…he scored 45 of 25 balls….second when Pakistan were going great guns at 84 runs in the first ten overs and Aamer Sohail arrogantly and in a condescending manner gesturing the boundary to Venkatesh Prasad…and Prasad cleaning up his stumps !…and the last was ofcourse that we won…having scored 287 for 8 in our 50 and Pakistan falling short by 39 runs….then in the later World Cup how Sachin nonchalantly squared a fast pacer Shoaib Akhtar ball for a Six over point and India racing to over 50 in the first 5 overs…..but this is going to be the Final before the Final in Mohali between the two on Wednesday,March 30,2011….I’m sure it will be played in the best of sporting spirit…both going for a win and nothing ‘fixed’…Cheers !