Points to Ponder: Australia v West Indies

Zeecric Bureau

Antigua, March 28: Antigua, March 28: The first Super Eights match which was spilled to the reserve day due to rain, saw the Australia thrashing the hosts West Indies by 103 runs. It was a clinical display by the world champions who lost their top rankings in ODIs just few days prior to the World Cup.

It was a match which belonged to the Australians from the word go and saw one of the finest batting displays by the Kangaroos.

  • Matthew Hayden with his personal score of 158 helped the Ausssies reach the score of 322 in the stipulated 50 overs.
  • Australia now holds the world record for 6 successive 300-plus totals in ODIs.
  • It was Hayden’s second World Cup century in a row.
  • Hayden`s innings was the highest in the World Cup by an Australian.
  • It was also his third in a row against a Test side.
  • In his last previous one-day international against Test opposition Hayden scored 181 not out, the highest one-day score by an Australian, against New Zealand.
  • After his disappointing show in the last group match against South Africa, Glenn McGrath returned to his usual best scalping three Windies wickets.
  • McGrath is now just one short of Wasim Akram`s record of 55 wickets in World Cups.
  • West Indies wicket keeper Denesh Ramdin came into form with a belligerent knock of 52 runs in just 42 balls.

    All in all it was match that saw two masters if the game, Mathew Hayden and Brian lara, showing their class by some breath-taking strokes. They drove, they pulled, they cut and most importantly, they mesmerized.

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