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Australia hand out crushing 82-run defeat to Pakistan
Johannesburg, Feb 11: Defending champions Australia today overcame the shocking exit of their top bowler Shane Warne to crush Pakistan in a high-voltage World Cup clash here during which they discovered a new batting star in Andrew Symonds who hit a scintillating century.
Johannesburg, Feb 11: Defending champions Australia today overcame the shocking exit of their top bowler Shane Warne to crush Pakistan in a high-voltage World Cup clash here during which they discovered a new batting star in Andrew Symonds who hit a scintillating century.
Playing like true champions, the Aussies made a remarkable recovery from 52 for 3 to smash their way to an imposing 310 for eight, largely due to an unbeaten 143 in 125
balls by Symonds.
They then bundled out Pakistan for 228 in 44.3 overs to emerge winners by 82 runs. The anxiously-awaited pool A game, dubbed as `the match of the tournament` by many, turned out to be a no-contest as the Aussies repeated the result of the previous World Cup final even with a depleted team.
Neither the absence of key batsmen Michael Bevan and Darren Lehmann nor the shocking news on Warne, who was returning home after testing positive for a banned drug, could deter the Aussies who stunned the big-talking Pakistanis into silence.
Symonds exposed the chinks in the celebrated Pakistani bowling line-up by launching an assault on the part-time bowlers while Pakistan`s brittle batting order was no match for the awesome firepower of the Aussie bowling.
Australia lost their three mainline batsmen, Adam Gilchrist (1), Matthew Hayden (27) and Damien Martyn (0), to veteran Wasim Akram even before the 11th over but Australia fought back admirably through their captain Ricky Ponting and Symonds who struck 18 fours and two sixes.
Ponting, who made a fine 53 with seven fours, started the recovery exercise with Jimmy Maher but their fourth wicket association could add only 34 runs. At 86 for four, Australia were in dire straits before Ponting and Symonds launched their selective counter-attack.
They picked on Pakistan`s fourth bowler, Abdur Razzaq, hammering him for three boundaries in his very first over. Razzaq went for 42 runs from his six overs. Similar treatment awaited Shahid Afridi who took pounding from Symonds.
The pair not only denied the Pakistanis any immediate success but also ensured a very healthy run-rate for their team.
Not even the dismissal of Ponting, who was caught behind off Shoaib Akhtar while chasing a wide delivery, could stop the rampaging Symonds who grew in confidence as he improved upon his previous best score of 68 against India.
Symonds punished all the Pakistani bowlers and reached his maiden one-day century with a brilliant cover-driven boundary against Afridi. He followed it up with another four on the next ball, continuing his assault on Afridi whose 9.3 overs went for 63 runs.
Symonds put on 70 runs with Bradd Hogg (14) and 54 with Ian Harvey (24), doing the bulk of the scoring in both the partnerships.
In the penultimate over, Pakistan captain Waqar Younis was taken off after three balls by English umpire David Shepherd for sending down two beamers in the same over. Afridi then completed the over.
Bureau Report
They then bundled out Pakistan for 228 in 44.3 overs to emerge winners by 82 runs. The anxiously-awaited pool A game, dubbed as `the match of the tournament` by many, turned out to be a no-contest as the Aussies repeated the result of the previous World Cup final even with a depleted team.
Neither the absence of key batsmen Michael Bevan and Darren Lehmann nor the shocking news on Warne, who was returning home after testing positive for a banned drug, could deter the Aussies who stunned the big-talking Pakistanis into silence.
Symonds exposed the chinks in the celebrated Pakistani bowling line-up by launching an assault on the part-time bowlers while Pakistan`s brittle batting order was no match for the awesome firepower of the Aussie bowling.
Australia lost their three mainline batsmen, Adam Gilchrist (1), Matthew Hayden (27) and Damien Martyn (0), to veteran Wasim Akram even before the 11th over but Australia fought back admirably through their captain Ricky Ponting and Symonds who struck 18 fours and two sixes.
Ponting, who made a fine 53 with seven fours, started the recovery exercise with Jimmy Maher but their fourth wicket association could add only 34 runs. At 86 for four, Australia were in dire straits before Ponting and Symonds launched their selective counter-attack.
They picked on Pakistan`s fourth bowler, Abdur Razzaq, hammering him for three boundaries in his very first over. Razzaq went for 42 runs from his six overs. Similar treatment awaited Shahid Afridi who took pounding from Symonds.
The pair not only denied the Pakistanis any immediate success but also ensured a very healthy run-rate for their team.
Not even the dismissal of Ponting, who was caught behind off Shoaib Akhtar while chasing a wide delivery, could stop the rampaging Symonds who grew in confidence as he improved upon his previous best score of 68 against India.
Symonds punished all the Pakistani bowlers and reached his maiden one-day century with a brilliant cover-driven boundary against Afridi. He followed it up with another four on the next ball, continuing his assault on Afridi whose 9.3 overs went for 63 runs.
Symonds put on 70 runs with Bradd Hogg (14) and 54 with Ian Harvey (24), doing the bulk of the scoring in both the partnerships.
In the penultimate over, Pakistan captain Waqar Younis was taken off after three balls by English umpire David Shepherd for sending down two beamers in the same over. Afridi then completed the over.
Bureau Report