ICC World Cup 2007: India’s Nightmare As Australia Notch Up Another Title

India’s West Indies trip was a story of three matches and little else.

FOR every Indian cricket fan, the ICC World Cup of 2007 was a topic that could go two ways – one lot would like ;to do away with the painful memories quickly, trying to forget the nightmare, while there is another set, who would discuss the disaster threadbare given the first opportunity.

But both sides agree that this was possibly the nadir for Indian cricket in terms of World Cups, and never ever has the side been in such ignominy since coloured clothing was adopted in cricket. India’s West Indies trip was a story of three matches and little else.

Accusations and anger that followed were natural, and refuse to die down even now, while the team that has moved on, as have all the players, would most likely still sit back and wonder at time as what went wrong.’But both sides agree that this was possibly the nadir for Indian cricket in terms of World Cups, and never ever has the side been in such ignominy since coloured clothing was adopted in cricket. India’s West Indies trip was a story of three matches and little else.

Bob Woolmer’s death

The biggest news of this World Cup was the death of Pakistan’s English coach Bob Woolmer.

Woolmer was found dead on March 18 in his hotel room in Kingston, Jamaica, a day after his side’s loss to Ireland which sent them packing. Initially considered a suspicious death, leading to a post-mortem and subsequently Jamaica police opened a murder investigation, which was subsequently reversed and remains a mystery till now.

New hosts and format

The Caribbean islands hosted their first World Cup and as many as 16 teams participated in the jamboree. The sides were divided into four groups and the top two teams from all groups then played a Super 8 format.

The associate teams included Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, the Netherlands and Scotland, who contested with the 10 Test-playing countries.

India’s disastrous run

India were clubbed with Bangladesh, Bermuda and Sri Lanka, and on any normal time, they were a cinch for the Super 8s. But it did not quite go down like that.

India began with a sensational loss to Bangladesh at Port of Spain, Trinidad, on March 17. Batting first, India were all at sea and barring Sourav Ganguly’s painstaking 66 and 47 runs from Yuvraj Singh, there was little else as they ended at 191 runs.

Bangladesh medium-pacer Mashrafe Mortaza claimed four wickets while spinners Abdur Razzak and Mohammad Rafique had three wickets each.

In reply, Bangladesh saw half-centuries from opener Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib al Hasan as they notched up a five-wicket win.

India duly beat Bermuda but their last-ditch battle with Sri Lanka ended in a defeat and they were out.
Upul Tharanga (64), Chamara Silva (59) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (38) guided Sri Lanka to a moderate 254/6 in their 50 overs but under-pressure India were not up for the challenge.

Skipper Rahul Dravid scored 60 and Virender Sehwag 48 but three wickets from Muttiah Muralitharan, two Chaminda Vaas and contributions from all the Sri Lankan bowlers saw India crumble to 185 all out in 43.3 overs and their run had ended ingloriously.

All-win Australia lift another title

Australia were once again at their best. They registered 12 consecutive victories in the tournament and brooked no opposition as they marched on.

After the league and Super 8s, Australian fast bowlers Shaun Tait (4/39) and Glenn McGrath (3/18) destroyed South Africa in the semi-finals, restricting them to just 149 runs, which they sailed past for a seven-wicket win.

In the other semi-final, Mahela Jayawardene scored 115 not out and Muralitharan claimed 4/31 as Sri Lanka knocked out New Zealand by 81 runs.

In the final, a repeat of the 1996 contest, Australia and Sri Lanka played what ended up being a fiasco of a final. As rain dominated, the match was initially reduced to a 38-over clash, and Adam Gilchrist blasted 149 as Australia reached 281/4.

Sri Lanka responded with challenging second-wicket stand between Sanath Jayasuriya (63) and Kumar Sangakkara (54) before wickets tumbled and the rain again reduced the overs to 36 overs and the Duckworth-Lewis System (DLS) target to 269.

But then the umpires asked the players to go back to the pavilion after 33 overs due to bad light and decided that the remaining three overs would be bowled the following day.

But rival skippers Ricky Ponting and Jayawardene decided to continue and the remaining overs were played in near-dark conditions and Australia finally win by 53 runs by the DLS system, taking their unbeaten World Cup streak to 29 matches.

• 
• 
• 
•