Joyride in an Aussie see-saw
 |
| Michael Clarke led Australia back to the pinnacle in 2015. |
ONE-DAY WORLD CUP BATTING: Matches 25, Innings 21, Not Out 7, Highest Score 93*, Runs 888, Average 63.42, Strike-rate 94.16, 100s -, 50s 8, Catches 12
It is not easy to bat no.4 in a line-up when the preceding batsmen are Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting, which is what Michael Clarke did for the most part in the 2007 World Cup. Nor is it easy to fill the void left behind by the elegant Mark Waugh. Yet this is what Clarke had to live up to. He was hailed as the next great batsman from Australia, successor to Ponting as captain and leading batsman. Clarke had it all: abundant natural talent, technique, poise, elegance, strokes, temperament. It was almost as if the cricketing world was waiting for him to emerge from the shadows of his great senior and express himself on a stage all his own, and he did.
Clarke did all that was asked of him in the 2007 World Cup. In his 9 innings he hit up two nineties, two other half-centuries and two forties, was never dismissed in single digit, and had a brilliant average of 87.20 and strike-rate of 94.98.
He shared a World Cup record fourth-wicket partnership of 204 with Brad Hodge against Holland at Basseterre, St. Kitts, as he logged his top score of 93 not out in the tournament.
Coming up against a major side for the first time in the tournament, Clarke registered his second successive ninety. Gilchrist and Hayden had already smashed the South African bowlers all over Warner Park, racing to 106 inside 15 overs. Hayden and Ponting then added 61 in 8.4 overs. When Clarke walked in at 167 for two only 23.3 overs had been bowled, and Hayden had blazed to the fastest World Cup century in 66 balls. Along with the skipper, Clarke put on 161 runs in just 21.4 overs. Ponting departed for a run-a-ball 91, and shortly afterwards Clarke was run out for 92. He had played 75 deliveries and hammered 7 fours and 4 sixes. Australia zoomed to their highest total of 377 for six in the premier event. Try as they might, it was a bridge too far for the Proteas, though Graeme Smith and Abraham de Villiers raised 160 first up in a mere 20.6 overs, and the latter was dismissed for the third ninety of the match, also tragically run out.
Australia lost two wickets relatively early against the West Indies in the first super-eight match. Clarke joined Hayden at 76 for two in the 15th over. They put on 98 in 16.1 overs before Dwayne Bravo trapped Clarke lbw for 41, having faced 47 deliveries and struck 4 boundaries. Hayden went on to hit up Australia’s highest score of 158 in the World Cup, paving the way for another easy win.
England set a target of 248, and Clarke combined with Ponting again in a 112-run third-wicket stand in 21 overs. The captain was run out for 86 but Clarke saw Australia home with his unbeaten 55 off 63 balls with the help of 2 fours.
Hardly any team was able to challenge Australia for the second consecutive World Cup. Sri Lanka could only post a total of 226. Clarke put on 47 this time with Ponting, but failed to keep a drive off leg-spinner Malinga Bandara on the ground and was taken in the covers for 23. Australia sailed to another seven-wicket victory.
As Hayden came up with his third hundred of the tournament, off the Kiwi bowling, Clarke featured in a 72-run partnership with the burly opener in just 9.4 overs. In a rare misjudgement, he shouldered arms to a slower one from left-armer James Franklin and was bowled middle-stump for 49 after negotiating 46 deliveries and carving out 7 boundaries. Australia went on to amass 348 for six, coasting to an easy 215-run triumph.
The Aussies were hardly tested in the tournament. Would the Proteas stretch them in the semi-final? The answer came very quickly as South Africa were bowled out for 149. They did get Gilchrist early, and then Ponting too, but Clarke linked up with Hayden in a 66-run stand. He brought up a facile seven-wicket win in the company of Andrew Symonds, top-scoring with an unbeaten 60 from 86 balls, having struck 8 fours.
Clarke’s job was more or less over as Gilchrist turned the truncated final into a no-contest with his blitzkrieg. But he did get the opportunity to bowl his slow left-arm spin, and knocked over the stumps of top-scorer Sanath Jayasuriya and Chamara Silva.
The talented Clarke was always at hand to back up the scintillating deeds of the big three in the Australian line-up in the hugely successful 2007 World Cup campaign. Invariably, his brief was to complete the work of the seniors and he did so with panache and style. He had already built up a formidable international record. The future beckoned Michael Clarke.
By 2011, the team was already in decline but they began the tournament well. They faced Zimbabwe, a team fighting hard to find its feet back in international cricket. Shane Watson and Brad Haddin raised an opening partnership of 61, then skipper Ponting helped Watson add another 79, but both were out in quick succession. Clarke then built another partnership steadily with Cameron White. He hit his first boundary off his 25th delivery. Still, the runs came mainly in singles. The pair added 63 before White departed. He returned unbeaten with 58 off 55 balls, having struck 4 boundaries. Australia totalled 262 for six. It seemed a measured performance by a team short on self-belief, and determined to ease into the campaign on the right note against one of the weaker teams. Zimbabwe were dismissed for 171 with all the bowlers getting a good workout.
The Australian bowlers did well to bowl out the Kiwis for 206 in 45.1 overs. This time Watson and Haddin put up 133. Clarke batted steadily, once again remaining not out, having scored 24 in 37 deliveries and picking up 4 fours along the way, helping bring up victory by 7 wickets in 34 overs.
There was a long wait of eight days before the next game, made longer by rain in Colombo after less than 33 overs in the Sri Lankan innings, resulting in abandonment.
Another eight days later they took on Kenya but most of the batsmen were in good nick. Clarke allied with Michael Hussey in a brilliant fifth-wicket stand of 114 in a bit more than 16 overs. Hussey departed after scoring a rapid half-century. Clarke now got into belligerent mode. He was approaching his first century in the World Cup, having already equalled his highest score of 93, and averaging a Bradmanesque 122.20 in 12 innings at this point. But it was not to be, as he holed out at long-on. Clarke had finally got an average in this World Cup, another Bradman-like 175 in his three innings. He had struck 7 boundaries and a six in 80 balls. Australia finished on 324 for six. The Kenyan batsmen, particularly Collins Obuya and Tanmay Mishra, did well to respond with 264 for six.
Canada were bowled out for 211. Clarke was unbeaten with 16 as his side rung in an easy seven-wicket victory.
Now came a challenging final group match against Pakistan, the last team to beat Australia in the World Cup way back on 23rd May 1999 at Headingley by a mere 10 runs in a high-scoring match. Clarke came to the crease at 75 for two in the 19th over. He battled through as wickets fell at regular intervals on a wicket of variable bounce, aiding lateral movement. Abdul Razzaq bowled him as he attempted a pull. His 34 had taken 48 balls and contained 2 boundaries. Australia collapsed to 176 all out in 46.4 overs. A Herculean bowling effort by Brett Lee could not prevent the 34-match unbeaten World Cup spell of the Australians from being broken.
This set up a high pressure quarter-final with home favourites India at Ahmedabad. As Ponting scored a vintage century, Clarke top-edged a sweep off player-of-the-tournament Yuvraj Singh, and holed out at mid-wicket for just 8, his first failure of the tournament at a crucial juncture. Australia did put up 260 for six but the inspired Indians won with relative ease. The days of glory in the World Cup were over for the time being.
Clarke had built up an impressive record in the World Cup, 669 runs in 15 innings at a brilliant average of 83.62, albeit with 7 not outs, and a top strike-rate of 93.56. These were mainly performances when Australia were riding high. When the going got tough, Clarke did not dazzle so bright. Nevertheless, the polished batsman that he was, he carried out his duties magnificently most of the time. Back trouble begun affecting his career. That was the challenge he had to deal with in his quest to be ranked among the true greats of batsmanship.
Captain in 2015, Clarke missed the opening fixture, while the second was washed out. In a match dominated by left-arm pacemen, Australia were dismissed for 151 by the Kiwis, with Trent Boult capturing five wickets. Clarke was caught in the covers for 12. Australia hit back, Mitchell Starc snaring six victims of his own. But in a nail-biting finish, New Zealand eked out a one-wicket win.
Australia recorded the biggest win in the World Cup, trouncing Afghanistan by 275 runs. Clarke did not bat.
After the early dismissal of the openers to the Sri Lankan attack, Clarke settled into a fine partnership with Steve Smith. He gradually opened up and began scoring at a-run-a-ball. They put on 134 runs in 23.1 overs before Clarke was yorked by Lasith Malinga for 68, having struck 6 fours. Smith was out soon for 72. They had set up the platform for a fierce assault by Glenn Maxwell. He raced to his fifty in only 26 balls, and blasted his century off a mere 51 balls, second fastest in the World Cup after Irishman Kevin O’Brien’s whirlwind hundred in 50 deliveries in 2011. This was Australia’s fastest hundred in One-day Internationals. Australia totalled 376 for nine. There was a spirited chase by the Lankans, led by a fine hundred from Kumar Sangakkara. But the task was too great, and they folded up for 312 in 46.2 overs. The match aggregate of 688 runs was the highest in a World Cup game, surpassing the 676 for 18 wickets in 99.5 overs in the India-England tied match in 2011.
Scotland were bowled out for 130. Clarke opened the batting, and again scored a polished run-a-ball 47, finding the boundary regularly. He smacked 2 sixes and 7 fours before being caught at square-leg. Australia brought up a seven-wicket win.
Pakistan could put up just 213 in the quarter-final. Clarke was dismissed for 8, as the Aussies ran away victors by six wickets.
In the semi-final, Australia logged up 328 for seven. Clarke fell for 10. India packed up for 233. Australia entered their 7th final in 11 World Cup tournaments.
As the Aussie juggernaut rolled on, the final too turned into a one-sided affair. New Zealand were skittled out for 183. Clarke joined Smith at 63 for two, and looked in good nick. After taking his time to settle down, ensuring that there was no hiccup at the last post, he cut loose. Having posted his fifty off 56 balls, he slammed Tim Southee for four consecutive boundaries. With just 9 more runs to get, Clarke played on to Matt Henry. It was an innings befitting a final, 74 from 72 balls, embellished with a six and 10 fours. The partnership with Smith realised 112 runs in 18.5 overs. Australia won by 7 wickets, lifting the Cup for the fifth time. The home team won the title for the second time running.
This was the least productive World Cup with the bat for Clarke, scoring 219 runs in his six innings at an average of 36.50, but with a high strike-rate of 96.50. In each of his three World Cup tournaments, his strike-rate was well above 90. That coupled with his average of 63.42 makes him one of the top performers with the willow for Australia. He could not hit a World Cup century, though, his top score being 93 not out. Ironically, he once said, “I've never scored an easy hundred, it's always been tough, especially against a very good attack.”
He was a most attractive batsman to watch, smooth-stroking and playing close to the body. Clarke will be remembered as the man who scored a triple century and double century in the same Test series, joining the ranks of Wally Hammond and Don Bradman, two consecutive Test double centuries, and one who won the World Cup back for Australia.
(Excerpt from Indra Vikram Singh’s forthcoming book ‘World Cup Odyssey’).
