On This Day in 2006 :
West indies defeated Australia in the 4th ODI of the DLF Cup: Triangular series involving India. After the 3rd match when each played each exactly once, Australia were leading the table with India pinned to bottom.
Australia opted to bat and Windies drew the first blood in the 10th over as Katich was run out in attempt to take a third and soon, Watson left for a 7-ball duck in the next over as Australia lost 1/2. Bradshaw then dismissed the next 2 batters for single digits as Symonds and Clarke departed leaving Australia on 64/4.
Hussey came to the crease to join Hayden and together they tried to steady the ship. The duo then had a run-a-ball 50-partnership but as it looked like Australia are settling down, Hayden pulled Bravo and found short fine leg. He missed his half-century by 1. Australia just touched the 4 rpo mark in the stand. Ponting’s absence also became visible.
But then came the 2nd-best partnership of the game as Haddin came to the crease. He was the last known batter of the line-up and Australia badly needed a revival. The duo went on to add 165 runs for the 6th wicket, breaking the old record established less than 1 year earlier between this guy: Hussey with Watson against ICC World XI.
Hussey is still involved in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th highest partnerships for the 6th wicket for Australia. Haddin fell in the last over. Hussey got to his maiden ODI ton as Australia finished on 272. There was still no successful run chase in the 1st 3 games.
The chase was difficult under lights and after Chanderpaul went for a 10-ball duck, Windies proceeded cautiously. They were 30/1 after 10 overs and It was Sarwan who started the onslaught even before Gayle who was on 13*(31) at the end of 12th. Sarwan edged to the keeper off Bracken in the 12th and Windies collected 17 off Stuart Clark’s over to get the momentum. The best partnership of the match was already underway among the two best Windies batters of the team. Lara was at his majestic best and was even more aggressive than his partner.
The duo went on to reach 139/2 at the halfway stage and it seemed like a cakewalk from there on. They eventually went on to make 151 in less than 20 overs which was the 10th highest 3rd wicket partnership for Windies men at that time and 17th now. Gayle fell for 79 as he pulled to the mid-wicket fielder and missed his well-deserved 100. Bravo joined Lara and the former took the anchoring role to let Lara play the way he was playing. Their partnership ended 3 short of 50 as Lara too missed his 100 by 13 runs. The run rate was 6 at that time.
The collapse Australia had earlier their innings started in the death overs for Windies as Australia took 4 wickets in 21 legal deliveries. Windies lost successive wickets on 249 and the 7th wicket fell 6 runs later which meant Windies needed 18 from 38.
The run rate was no more a concern and the only way Australia could win was to take all wickets as wkb Baugh joined Bravo. Bracken conceded 1 in the next over but in the next 2 overs after that, Windies got 8 in each to reach the threshold of 4 points. Bravo collected the desired single in the 2nd delivery of the next over as Windies won by 3 wickets with 16 deliveries to spare. Their place in the finale became almost certain.
Hussey was declared as the man of the match. Despite Lara’s strokeplay, Hussey played the best knock of the day.
Summary:
Australia 272/6(50)
Hussey 109*(90)
Bradshaw 10-0-35-2
Windies 273/7(47.2)
Lara 87(80)
Lee 10-0-46-3
