Australia do it effortlessly

Well after two matches that ended in tense moments, with both Australia and New Zealand fighting it until the last legal delivery was bowled and the last run scored or conceded, there was finally a game that proved one team to be stronger than the other. And as obvious it has been, that one team that had to be sideline from the other happened to be Australia. Though Australia won the second one dayer at Auckland by 12 runs, the victory couldn't guarantee Australia a convincing sleep, with reports suggesting that it was the D-L method that helped Australia achieve the task.

In the 3^rd ODI which Australia won, the Australian bowlers did everything right if not for the toss which should have seen Ricky Ponting choose to bat rather than to bowl. Though Australia won the match convincingly, it would have been a better decision from Ponting had he chosen to bat first with the seamers not being able to extract anything from the surface. However, despite the ball being unable to swing, it was enough to trouble the New Zealand batsmen who kept on losing wickets at regular intervals. The final score of 245 was not at all an issue in chasing for the Australians who are gifted with atleast 7 specialist batsmen in their side.

The New Zealand team needed contribution from as many as 7 batsmen who departed after scoring double digit figures, with 5 of them scoring between 20 and 40 or above. But, when the same was considered from the Australians' side, they needed the efforts of just 2 batsmen in Ponting and Haddin, whose work was continued by White and Voges. No bowler from the New Zealand side could take a wicket until the 33^rd over, after Watson was run out in the 7^th over. Highlights suggests that there were two chance given to Haddin when the batsman was on 8 and on 83, both of which were tough ones but gettable as well.

And, this is the difference between a team that dominates and that which wins with a combined effort. A dominating team makes chances for itself and a strong team looks for chances while an ordinary team only welcomes chances. Finally, a weak team like Bangladesh West Indies lets go off a chance despite being forced to accept one. And NZ belongs to the third category that can only make it count when things favor them. One thing that was evident from the match was that, a 35 yer old mason, who should have retired by now was found making a comeback to the international after he was last found playing for NZ in July last year against Scotland.