Aussies - A perfect example for team work

Well what a team work this has been from the Australian team, who can still bring the cricket fans out of the IPL mood that is catching up high on the other side of the globe? If one goes through the scorecard of the second innings of Australia's bating chart, almost all the Aussie batsmen have done their bit towards the team total of 511 for the loss of 8 wickets. If not for the captain Ricky Ponting who returned back scoring just 6 runs that all included was a full-toss hit out of the boundary line, the rest of the Aussies batsmen gave in everything they could to their team.

Much to the surprise, there were decent knocks from the blades of Ryan Harris and Nathan Hauritz - both of whom are more known for their bowling skills and less when it comes to playing a similar delivery. Ryan Harris scored an unbeaten 18 runs and Hauritz scored 41 that included 2 sixes as well. But, I give it all to the opening batsman - Simon Katich who not only top scored with 106 but also held the Australian innings firmly after their first innings lag of 33 runs. This is evident from the fact that he stood at the crease for 279 deliveries having crucial partnerships with Shane Watson and Mike Hussey.

Simon Katich not only bought in all his experience when he did that but also showed a non-selfish motive when he gripped the Aussie innings as mentioned. It was Katich who was responsible for his team to put up such a mammoth total after their initial hiccup. All batsmen who followed Katich came up with increasing strike rates with Hussey, Clarke, North and Haddin returning with strike rates of 41.87, 57.79, 66.66 and 120 respectively. All these were steadily increasing after Katich's 37.99. One bad decision that Ponting was found doing was when he declared the innings at 511 with 2 wickets in hand.

It is neither an insufficient total at which Ponting should not have declared nor the two wickets that Australia had that could have added few more runs to their mammoth total of 511. But, the fact is that, had Ponting chosen to declare a bit later, may be Nathan Hauritz might have scored a half century who had to end his innings at 41*. An interesting fact is the, it was only Mitchell Johnson who could not contribute with the bat for his team but did everything to compensate with the bat when he took three of the five wickets that fell from the Kiwi side.

A peculiar Aussie reply

On the 2^nd day's play between Australia and New Zealand, no matter if New Zealand put up a total of 264 on the board which was more than the total of 231 put up by the Aussies on the 1st day's play. This can in no ways trouble the Aussies. All that the New Zealand could achieve was a 33 run lead in the first innings. In case New Zealand had to take a lead, be it by any amount of runs, for that the Aussies should display an under - power performance which would in turn allow the opposition to capitalize. And this is what New Zealand did.

It is just a matter of time before the Aussies get back strongly at the opposition and this time as well the situation is no different. At the end of the day's play, the Aussies were 35 runs on the board without any loss of wickets and furthermore, the Aussies had a lead of 2 runs which, though not much at the moment, with three full days being available, the Aussies can make it count for which its history itself is an example. May be at the end of the 5^th day, New Zealand could take home only the satisfaction that they had a first innings lead and nothing more.

If one side of the coin suggests New Zealand taking an upperhand after they took a lead of 33 runs as mentioned, the other side of the coin also suggests that the Kiwis lost all their ten wickets almost a session before the second day's play got over. So, it would not be wrong to say that New Zealand had got hardly anything to take away from the match. Highlights from the scorecard suggests that if not for Ross Taylor, no other Kiwi batsmen really stood to the Aussie challenge whatsoever. If there was Ross Taylor who notched up a hundred for his team, there was also Mitchell Johnson who bagged 4 wickets for Australia.

And, Ross Taylor didn't achieve this without the aid of some sloppy fielding from the Aussies who dropped him when the batsman was on 7, 53 and 92. However, some majestic knocks from Ross Taylor were witnessed when the batsman scored 25 runs from Nathan Hauritz over which included three consecutive maximums. By the time New Zealand crossed a total of 231 put up by Australia, they had lost 6 wickets meaning the remaining 4 5 batsmen from New Zealand could manage just 71 runs, with Taylor's score being 41 out of that. So, by hooks or crooks, Kiwis took a temporary edge over Aussies.

Pakistan has got used to defeats

It is too late for anyone to highlight the 4^th ODI loss by Pakistan at the hands of Australia for, the loss would have been well anticipated by everyone including the Pakistan team. But, one would have hardly expected the Pakistan team to hand over the match to a 3 match old Ryan Harris who took yet another 5 wicket haul, that was his second out of three games and a consecutive one against Pakistan. May be this bowling record is the first of its kind by any bowler to take 2 consecutive 5 wicket hauls in his maiden three ODIs.

It was a slow and steady approach by the Australian batsmen which made them post a total of 277 on the board after being at 190 at the end of the 40^th over losing 6 wickets. This is what the Australian batsmen have been found doing not only in the past three ODIs but also ever since they took to top the international cricket. However, coming back to the 4th ODI at Perth, it looks like the Pakistanis have got used to the defeats especially against Australia. Neither was there any drop catches by the Pakistani fieldsmen nor any sort of ridiculous bowling.

However, the result was indeed ridiculous needless to be said. There was news that Mitchell Johnson-who was rested for the first three ODIs would be making it to the Perth ODI, which actually didn't happen. But, despite the absence of his experience and pace bowling, Australia got what they wanted. I just cannot realize what was going on in the minds of the Pakistani batsmen when they lost all their wickets for a score less than 200 150, after they had scored 127 in the second one dayer. One can imagine the caliber of the Pakistani bowlers when Nathan Hauritz could send the ball over the ropes for four times en-route to his maiden half century.

It was the same approach by Mohammed Yousuf when he bowled just 5 bowlers. One thing that is to be noticed is that Afridi, who is considered more of a batsman is made to bowl 10 overs in all four ODIs. Added to that is the fact that he was one of the two Pakistani bowlers who bowled an over maiden and returned with an economy of 4.4 which was just 0.2 rpo more than the most economical bowler Mohammed Asif. Also, the other side of the coin is that he was one of the two Pakistani players who hit sixes. One would be sick of seeing the scorecard that highlights the tail-enders' astonishing strike rates and lack of huge scores and partnerships.

With no improvement since the beginning of the ODI test series, it looks like the Pakistani captain just wants to wind up his career as captain, after a report suggests that Yousuf might be sacked at Pakistani captain after the ODI series against Australia.