The quarterfinals were marked by three one-sided results but thepulsating Australia-India game made up for this
Partab Ramchand14-Sep-2002If anything, the second ICC KnockOut competition saw even more
enthralling contests and a higher standard of play, cementing its
success. In keeping with the globalisation process, the International
Cricket Council this time held the competition in Nairobi from October
3 to 15, 2000.
|
The quarterfinals were marked by three one-sided results but the pulsating Australia-India game made up for this. Australia were firm favourites but this was a rejuvenated Indian side, under the captaincy of Ganguly and including three potentially fine players in newcomers Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Vijay Dahiya. After Australia made the early inroads, a breath-taking innings from Yuvraj saw India wrest the initiative and the advantage thereafter stayed with India. |
When the idea of such a competition was mooted, Bangladesh and Kenya
seemed next in line for Test status. By the time the Nairobi
tournament was held, Bangladesh had already been granted the exalted
status and were a month away from playing their first Test match.
Kenya remained hopeful that the successful conduct of the mini-World
Cup as also a good performance from their cricketers – the number of
the teams had been raised to eleven to include Bangladesh and the
hosts – would move them a step nearer being given Test status.The tournament certainly was a success from the organisational point
of view and much of the cricket was of the ethereal variety, but there
was no storybook script for the hosts who lost to India by eight
wickets in the opening match of the competition.Batting first, Kenya were restricted to 208 for nine in 50 overs. The
total was never going to be one to pose any problems for the Indians
and thanks to skipper Sourav Ganguly’s 66 and Rahul Dravid’s unbeaten
68, they romped home with eight wickets and 7.3 overs to spare.Similarly, England faced little opposition from Bangladesh emerging
winners by eight wickets with 6.1 overs to spare. Bangladesh did well
in getting 232 for eight in 50 overs but against ordinary bowling,
Alec Stewart (87 not out) and skipper Nasser Hussain (95) had little
difficulty in negotiating some ordinary bowling during their second
wicket partnership of 175 runs.The format again meant that one Test nation had to be knocked out in
the first round and this time the West Indies failed to cross this
hurdle. A stroke-filled 132 by opener Avishka Gunawardene and his
third wicket stand of 160 runs with Mahela Jayawardene (72) saw Sri
Lanka post 287 for six in 50 overs, a total that proved to be too
formidable for the West Indies who were dismissed for 179 in 46.4
overs.The quarterfinals were marked by three one-sided results but the
pulsating Australia-India game made up for this. Australia were firm
favourites but this was a rejuvenated Indian side, under the captaincy
of Ganguly and including three potentially fine players in newcomers
Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Vijay Dahiya. After Australia made the
early inroads, a breath-taking innings from Yuvraj saw India wrest the
initiative and the advantage thereafter stayed with India.The pugnacious left-hander hit 84 off 80 balls treating the pace of
McGrath, Lee and Gillespie with utter disdain. India ultimately posted
a challenging total of 265 for nine in 50 overs. Then it was the turn
of another youngster to strike. Bowling with hostility, Zaheer Khan
removed Adam Gilchrist and Steve Waugh and some fine work by the
varied attack, backed up by some superb work in the field in which
Yuvraj was outstanding saw Australia bowled out for 245 in the 47th
over.Unfortunately, the other three quarterfinals lacked such heroics and
drama. In prosaic contests, Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by nine
wickets, New Zealand beat Zimbabwe by 64 runs and South Africa
outplayed England by eight wickets.The Pakistan-Sri Lanka game was billed as a scorcher. But once Lanka
were bowled out for 194 in 45.4 overs no batsman reached 40 they
were always going to be up against it. Saeed Anwar’s unbeaten 105 saw
Pakistan home with 6.4 overs to spare. New Zealand’s total of 265 for
seven in 50 overs, thanks in the main to Roger Twose’s bright 85,
proved to be beyond Zimbabwe’s reach and despite a splendid 67 by
Stuart Carlisle they were bowled out for 201 in 42.2 overs with Paul
Wiseman finishing with four for 45.Similarly, England were no match for South Africa’s professional allround skills. Graeme Hick top-scored with a gallant 65 but England’s
total of 182 in 44.1 overs was always going to be inadequate. South
Africa with Jacques Kallis (78 not out) and Boeta Dippenaar (65)
figuring in an unbroken third wicket partnership of 132 runs romped
home with 11.5 overs to spare.Two splendid semi-final matches made up for the generally lacklustre
fare in the previous round. Anwar hit a second successive hundred
(104) as Pakistan scored 252 in 49.2 overs against New Zealand. Azhar
Mahmood, then, reduced the Kiwis to 15 for two but Nathan Astle (49)
and Roger Twose (87) initiated a recovery process by adding 135 runs
for the third wicket. Pakistan came back strongly and had a distinct
edge when New Zealand were 187 for six. However, Craig McMillan (51)
and Scott Styris (26) figured in an unbroken seventh wicket stand of
66 runs to steer New Zealand home amidst much excitement with one over
to spare.The other semifinal lacked a close finish but in many ways it was just
as enthralling. The entertainment started early with Ganguly in his
elements. Doing pretty much what he liked with the attack that
included the likes of Pollock, Donald, Klusener, Kallis, Boje and
Telemachus, the Indian captain hit a run-a-ball 141 not out in a total
of 295 for six in 50 overs. With Rahul Dravid (58), Ganguly dominated
a second wicket partnership of 145 runs while Yuvraj (41) matched his
skipper in stroke and run production in a third wicket stand of 82
runs.The youngsters continued to excel with Zaheer Khan picking up the
wickets of Andrew Hall and Dippenaar cheaply in his opening spell and
Dahiya effecting three dismissals. Even South Africa’s professional
skills came to nought against the new look Indian side and they were
bowled out for 200 in 41 overs.And so in the title clash were two unexpected contestants, India and
New Zealand. None could say, however, that they were undeserving of a
place in the final. And the two teams, in keeping with the form they
had displayed, produced a high calibre game, marked by much tension
and excitement, twists and turns. Ganguly hit another century (117)
and his first wicket partnership of 141 runs with Sachin Tendulkar
(66) paved the way for the challenging Indian total of 264 for six in
50 overs.At various stages – 37 for two and 132 for five – New Zealand were
gasping for breath. But they received timely oxygen in the form of
Chris Cairns. The star all-rounder took charge and with the help of
the old warhorse Chris Harris (46) revived New Zealand’s hopes with a
sixth wicket partnership of 122 runs. In true storybook fashion,
Cairns reached an unbeaten 102 in the process of steering New Zealand
to victory with four wickets and two deliveries to spare in a
grandstand finish.
