World Cup 2003
Fourteen teams played in the 2003 Cricket World Cup. In the first round,
they were divided into two groups of 7 teams.Australia struggled their
way to 212 against tight Sri Lankan bowling,thanks mainly to 91 from
Andrew Symonds. Chaminda Vaas, continuing his excellent tournament, took
three wickets. Australia's pace attack then ripped through the Sri Lankan
top order, with Brett Lee taking three early wickets and Glenn McGrath
taking one. By the time rain arrived in the thirty-ninth over, continued
tight bowling had squeezed Sri Lanka to 7/123, well behind the target
given by the Duckworth-Lewis method.
The fairytale finally ended for the Kenyan team, the first and only non
to date. Sachin Tendulkar, with 83 runs, and Sourav Ganguly with 111 off
114 balls, batted the Kenyans out of the game as India careered to Under
the Durban lights, the newly potent Indian seam attack of Zaheer Khan,
the experienced Javagal Srinath, and Ashish Nehra careered through the
Kenyan top order, who were never in the hunt and were bowled out for 179.
It all started in Australia's favor with wayward bowling and then the
attacking batting display by australian's, Ponting in particular
dispatching the bowling over the fence with fearsome regularity making
140 from 121 balls. The final Australian total of 2-359(at that time) was
their second highest ever in ODI history.The Australian total looke
impregnable, particularly after India's trump card Sachin Tendulkar was
out in the first over after skying a pull shot, Glenn completing the
caught and bowled. Nevertheless, Viru's run-a-ball half century gave
India respectability maintained a high scoring rate,but their only
realistic hope—a washout—looked a possibility as the game was interrupted
by rain in the eighteenth over. However, the rain proved fleeting, and
India's hopes were dashed when Sehwag was run out by Darren Lehmann for
82. India's batsmen continued to throw wickets away in the chase and were
finally bowled out for 234 giving Australia an emphatic victory by a
record margin (in World Cup finals thus far) of 125 runs,underlining
their dominance of the tournament. Ponting was named "Man Of The Match",
and Sachin Tendulkar, for his demolition of bowling attacks, was named
"Player Of The Tournament."
