The Kangaroo's Hat - Trick

Finally the seven week long cricketing carnival is over and the Australians get to keep the cup....again.That makes it three in a row and four in all. Somehow it was not too much of a surprise for me or anyone else. It had to be them. Actually i don't know What could have prevented them from getting it this time. Sri Lanka could have been considered as a remotely possible hurdle ( some might disagree ), but that was not to be.

The rain interfered match had its share of excitement. Though it got delayed by several hours due to rains and the overs getting reduced. Yet it had a lot of action when it finally started. Gilchrist, who didnt have a very good run at this World Cup so far, showed his abilities mercilessly against the Sri Lankan bowlers. The Aussie fans had a lot to cheer for. I think it was his innings that made the difference. Sri Lanka did make a descent start with Jayasuriya and Sangakara showing good temperment. Unfortunately they were not good enough. With the rain playing hide and seek things just did not go the Sri Lankan way. The game ended amongst comical circumstances, with bad light stopping play and the Aussies celebrating early. However play resumed in the dark and the inevitable result was the same. Anyway things always seem to go Australia's way. I wont say that they are very lucky but they dont quite seem to have a bad day very often.When the Aussies got beaten before the world cup by England and New Zealand, people realized that the champions were not invincible. At the World Cup they rubbished such claims. They are certainly beatable but most of the time they are too hot to handle.

As for this World Cup is concerened it was no less than an emotional soap opera. Lots of action. Several records broken. Some of the greatest batting and bowling performances. Lots of criticism about the way it was conducted by the ICC. Depriving the West Indian flavour of music and passion from the whole event. The high prices of the tickets kept the local populace away from the game. The early exit of big teams created furthur loss of spectators and revenues. Big sponsors lost money. Tragical events and unsolved murder mysteries. Other than this, World Cup 07 marks the end of the careers for many great legends and will most certainly be the last one for many others. So there were many who wanted to be crowned the world champs on their way out. Some announced their retirement or stepped down as captain out of sheer disappointment and despair.

The Aussies are in their league of their own. They are ruthless and perfect cricketing machines. They have stamped a mark of authority on this game. Psychologically, they literally own it. They set the standards which others can only try to follow. Their professionalism and commitment towards the game is unparallel to any other team. They belittle the most tough of situations and come out even stronger. Blowing away the puny opponents that stand up against their god-like prescence in the game. The mark of real champions. They deserve to win and settle for nothing less. With such a reputation, along with it comes a lot of arrogance and pride. Which is quite normal i suppose.

The Australians are indeed very good but they are not my favourite team. I along with so many others were quite eagerly supporting any team that went up against the cricketing giants. If only wishes would come true. The Aussies dont leave anything to chance or luck. Unfortunately the other teams do need a lot of it especially against the Aussie juggernaut. What does it take to beat them is not a simple question to answer. Lets hope we have a different outcome in the next one in 2011 for the good of the game!!!

Comments

Philip Kingsley said…
Wow that should have been a great feeling for the kangaroos and its a very rare moment... and to defeat this feat it will take a minimum of 15 years during which we will have seen two generations in cricket. Unfortunately i wasn't lucky enough to watch this match. And the other astonishing record is the continuous victory streak that is maintained by the aussies.
June 28, 2008 10:44 AM
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