VB SERIES: 1st FINAL: AUSTRALIA vs INDIA, MCG, MATCH THREAD

[piefan2002]

ODI # 2097
VB Series, 2003/04, 1st Final
Australia v India
Melbourne Cricket Ground (day/night)
6 February 2004 (50-over match)

Umpires: SA Bucknor (WI) and SJA Taufel (AUS)
TV Umpire: DJ Harper (AUS)
4th Umpire: RL Parry (AUS)
Match Referee: CH Lloyd (WI)

AUSTRALIA (LIKELY)

1 Adam Gilchrist (wk),
2 Matthew Hayden,
3 Ricky Ponting (capt),
4 Damien Martyn,
5 Andrew Symonds,
6 Michael Clarke,
7 Simon Katich,
8 Brett Lee,
9 Jason Gillespie,
10 Brad Williams,
11 Michael Kasprowicz.

INDIA (LIKELY)
1 Sachin Tendulkar,
2 Virender Sehwag,
3 VVS Laxman,
4 Rahul Dravid (wk),
5 Sourav Ganguly (capt),
6 Yuvraj Singh,
7 Rohan Gavaskar,
8 Ajit Agarkar,
9 Irfan Pathan,
10 Anil Kumble,
11 L Balaji.

TAB SPORTSBET

Australia $1.42
India $2.65

 

[Russian]

Where do cricinfo come up with these 'likely' lineups? Kasprowicz and Kumble playing is very UNlikely IMHO.

 

[pazza]

Forecast top temperature is a very comfortable 27.

On the line-ups, let's be realistic:

Australia:

Gilchrist
Hayden
Ponting
Martyn
Symonds
Clarke
Bevan
Harvey
Lee
Gillespie
Williams

India:

Tendulkar
Sehwag
Dravid
Ganguly
Laxman
Singh
Gavaskar
Agarkar
Pathan
Balaji
Nehra

 

[power#1]

I don't care what the teams look like. When you see a batting line up with the likes of Tendulkar, Laxman, Dravid, Sehwag, Gangully and Singh you know your in for trouble. Go India!!!

 

[apollo_creed]

Originally posted by power#1
I don't care what the teams look like. When you see a batting line up with the likes of Tendulkar, Laxman, Dravid, Sehwag, Gangully and Singh you know your in for trouble. Go India!!!

Can't argue with that.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Really looking forward to this game. Probably the biggest one dayer in this country since the 3rd Final in 1997/8 when we beat South Africa. I don't think that is too much of a stretch is it? Seeing as we've won everything else here pretty comfortably since. There have been 4 games - we've won 3 and India have won 1, and the one India won they pretty much had the upper hand the whole way, the game we won at the MCG we should have lost (from two stages - when we were 90/4 and when India were 250/4), and the one in Sydney we should have a) lost because nobody chases down 300 on the SCG, b) won in a canter after the great start and the rain, c) lost after the middle order collapse. The other game was of course the Perth game which is pretty much irrelevant UNLESS it plays on the Indians' psyche, which is a chance but I think it's pretty unlikely with the 2004 model Indian team. Ganguly has the necessary arrogance to help his team overcome that.

There really are some mouthwatering matchups all over the place - particularly looking at batsmen v batsmen (Gilchrist v Sehwag, Hayden v Tendulkar, Ponting v Laxman, Symonds v Yuvraj, Clarke v Ganguly, Katich v Dravid). Hope you like how I worked my way around Martyn v Gavaskar I think that tomorrow's game will be won by the bowlers though to be honest. I remember Dean Jones once said that finals always tend to be lower scoring because there was a lot more pressure around, and much like football finals are more often than not won by defences, I guess the same can be said for cricket.

The big challenge for the Indians is not to choke on the big stage as they did in the World Cup Final. Adam Gilchrist in his diary wrote about how Zaheer Khan came steaming in all fired up for the first ball of the day, but by the end of that 15 run first over he was a shadow of his former self - a broken man. Gilchrist and Hayden saw this and took full toll, backed up later on of course in spectacular fashion by Ponting and Martyn. They choked again in the TVS Cup Final in November, when they collapsed chasing just 235 in Calcutta.

Personally though I'm just leaning to the Aussies, not with any certainty though, and definitely not with the certainty that I usually tip the Aussies around this time of year, and that's good for cricket, especially in this country. Hoping for a real corker though, and if I'm winning the toss, I'm batting first and looking to set a target of around 250 for the evening session. BRING IT ON!

 

[Grasshopper17]

Originally posted by Russian
Where do cricinfo come up with these 'likely' lineups? Kasprowicz and Kumble playing is very UNlikely IMHO.

Maybe they have something against Ian Harvey. They wouldn't be the first They might be remembering his last innings on that ground when he had a brain fade and forgot how to run Personally I think he'll play and I hope he has a good day!

 

[ViperV10]

Originally posted by rchowell
The big challenge for the Indians is not to choke on the big stage.......They choked again in the TVS Cup Final

So we should be renaming them the Indian Power should we?

I can't believe that "likely" line-up for Australia....Hussey should be in instead of Katich (yes, I know he isn't in the squad anymore) and I don't quite know why Kasper would walk into the first final.

 

[DIG]

Originally posted by pazza
Forecast top temperature is a very comfortable 27.

On the line-ups, let's be realistic:

Australia:

Gilchrist
Hayden
Ponting
Martyn
Symonds
Clarke
Bevan
Harvey
Lee
Gillespie
Williams

India:

Tendulkar
Sehwag
Dravid
Ganguly
Laxman
Singh
Gavaskar
Agarkar
Pathan
Balaji
Nehra

Bevan certainly won't be there given he's injured. Swap him for Katich and your side could be on the money. You might have the Indian squad right too although I hope Kartik gets a game so we can smash him to all corners again

It's a beautiful day here today, should be a corker of a match.

 

[anonymous Joe]

Originally posted by pazza
Forecast top temperature is a very comfortable 27.

On the line-ups, let's be realistic:

Australia:

Gilchrist
Hayden
Ponting
Martyn
Symonds
Clarke
Bevan
Harvey
Lee
Gillespie
Williams

India:

Tendulkar
Sehwag
Dravid
Ganguly
Laxman
Singh
Gavaskar
Agarkar
Pathan
Balaji
Nehra

Swap Dravid for Laxman at 3, Darivid goes to 4 and Ganguly the pussy bats at 5.

 

[guess_who]

Any one know if the game is sold out yet?

 

[vindor]

Im going for india!

When you see Australia dominate for the last 5 years the way they have, it would be good to see something different.

 

[Cooldude]

Hope it goes to a 3rd final, at least it'd give those poor Queenslanders something to do

 

[ViperV10]

Yeah is there any word on whether it is a sellout? I am going to be bloody annoyed if it isn't......

Is a perfect day here as has already been stated...don't think there is much chance of rain ruining the match.

 

[EagleBlue]

Interesting to note that according to todays TV guide in the Hun. The game will be shown into Melbourne until 6:00pm. Wednesdays weekly TV guide also indicated this as well as last Sundays TV guide, although the Msn website still indicates 2:00-4:30. Guess we will find out soon enough

 

[bomber70]

not a sellout - 30,000 presold...tipping we'll get about 60,000.

 

[Disgustipated]

Originally posted by Cooldude
Hope it goes to a 3rd final, at least it'd give those poor Queenslanders something to do

Yeah bit bored of going to the beach every other day and perving on sexy chix in the Queen st mall

 

[Homer]

Originally posted by Disgustipated
Yeah bit bored of going to the beach every other day and perving on sexy chix in the Queen st mall

Its a hard life up here!!

Easier to perve on the chicks at the beach though.

 

[CarterS]

Not sure why they bothered to put Kaspa into the squad if he wasn't even going to be 12th man. Harvey can't bat so it must've been a line-ball decision.

Let's hope he gets a game next time.

 

[carn_the_nmfc]

Gilespie is bowling well. I hope that he can get Tendulker and Sehwag out.

 

[dr nick]

Originally posted by bomber70
not a sellout - 30,000 presold...tipping we'll get about 60,000.

yeah there should be a big walk-up since it is not mandatory to pre-book to be assured of a seat at the MCG, might have a chance of full coverage.

What happens if people rock up after work and it sells out around 7pm? will they go back to the cricket cutting off Frasier or whatever crap they put on?

I'm just happy that sundays game is being beamed live all day... wait, no i couldnt care less coz i'll be there

 

[Homer]

Sehwag gone to Gillespie.

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI!!

Now to get Sachin and Laxman....

 

[Pedro]

Gillespie gets Sehwag. 1/6. Good start.

 

[CarterS]

India seem hesitant, I'm sure they'll click soon though. Awesome batting strip.

 

[kaysee]

Sounds like Dizzy is bowling pretty well so far.. .except they just scored a 4 off him. He has been due to pick up a few wickets.

Thanks for the updates people. Keep them coming for us who can only rely on the Net and CricInfo for the details.

Cheers
SKC