A sorry looking World XI got all out for mere 137 runs, while trying to chase the Australians score of 293 runs in the third and final match of the ICC Super Series here today. Aussies won the series 3-0.
Brett Lee and Watson looked in great touch taking four wickets each.
Lee clean bowled Chris Gayle on the second ball of the first over for duck. Glenn McGrath got his team the wicket of Sangakkara, who scored 13(15).
A short of a good length delivery with a little extra bounce saw Sangakkara hitting it high up in the air towards mid-on. Martyn judged it to perfection and grabbed it to end the World XI wicketkeeper’s innings with the world team reeling at 20/2.
Just seven runs later Brett Lee struck again, taking two wickets in consecutive balls. Hussey caught Kallis off him for 2(10). Lara, who replaced Kallis was out for duck the very next ball making it his second time he was dismissed for zero in the Super Series.
Flintoff and Sehwag then entertained the crowd hitting fours and sixes at will and putting up on over 50 run partnership before Flintoff was clean bowled by Watson for 21(25) runs. World XI were 5 down for 87.
Flintoff’s departure left in the middle two Indians, Dravid and Sehwag. An attempt to steal a cheeky single saw Sehwag being run out by Watson in some stunning display of fielding by the Australian. Sehwag scored 37 in 40 balls.
Dravid was the next to go for 16 runs of 38 balls. He was caught by Martyn off Brett Lee. World eleven were seven down for just 119 runs. Vettori went for a duck in the very next over. Skipper Shaun Pollock scored 8 before Watson’s third victim in the 28th over.
Watson then got the wicket of Afridi in the same over to bring a sad end to the World XI’s pathetic innings.
Earlier, the Australian innings saw them recover from a quick three-wicket loss with Michael Hussey and Shane Watson stablising it and maintaining a good run rate scoring at run a ball. Hussey (74) and Shane Watson (66) remained unbeaten till the end.
Hussey reached his half-ton in 59 balls hitting one terrific six and 3 boundaries. Watson followed suit completing his half-century in 58 balls, accumulating most of his runs in singles and hitting just 2 fours.
Hussey was caught in the deep by Afridi off Ntini, but the third umpire declared it a no ball. Watson injured Afridi, when the Pakistani player tried to catch a cracking shot from the batsman.
Muralitharan got World XI a much needed breakthrough when he got Ricky Ponting out for 68 runs. Ponting, who was beaten with change of pace by the ace spinner, gave an easy catch to Lara.
Ponting’s departure brought Andrew Symonds to the field. Symonds too failed to survive Murali’s spin and was out for 1. Wicketkeeper Sangakkara took the catch ending Symonds cameo.
Vettori gave his Sri Lankan teammate good company by trapping set-batsman Martyn before his stumps. Martyn departed after a good innings of 33(44).
Australia, as a result, were reduced to 148 for 5 after 28 overs.
Skipper Ricky Ponting, earlier, brought up his half-century in style hitting the fence for four. He took 63 balls to achieve the feat.
Both Australian openers, however, were back in the pavillion in just under 10 overs. The first hundred for the team came up in the 17th over. Makhaya Ntini struck in his very first over to get his team their first breakthrough as he showed Australian opener Michael Clarke the door.
Clarke was trapped in front of his wickets on the fourth ball of the second over of the match. He scored 3 runs. His dismissal brought skipper Ricky Ponting to the field with the Australian scoreboard reading 15/1.
Gilchrist, however, refused to relent and along with Ponting maintained a high scoring rate. He was out to Pollock after scoring a run a ball 32. Australia were 58/2 after 8.5 overs, when Martyn replaced him joining Ponting in the middle.
The eleventh over of the game saw an LBW decision being referred to a third empire. Martyn survived the call.
Earlier, Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
World XI who were playing the match for pride looks out of sort throughout the match and were whitewashed easily by the rejuvenated aussies . The team made two changes for the match. Kevin Pietersen, who strained his thigh in the field during the last match was rested. Shoaib Akhtar also left out. Makhaya Ntini and Shahid Afridi replaced them.
