Australia v Pakistan 1999-2000

At Melbourne, February 2 (day/night). Australia won by six wickets. Toss: Pakistan.

Pakistan's nightmare start to the 1999 World Cup final came back to haunt them, only this time it was worse. Two days after receiving the inaugural Allan Border Medal, McGrath demonstrated why fellow-players, umpires and media had proclaimed him Australia's outstanding player of the year. He was fast, relentlessly accurate, as hostile as Melbourne's heat-wave, and inside two overs he had Pakistan in ruins, with four runs on the board and three wickets down. When the Lee brothers chipped in with another three wickets, they were as good as out of the game at 78 for seven. Moin Khan's rally spared Pakistan from complete humiliation, yet even he rather gave his wicket away. "Glenn was awesome," Steve Waugh said afterwards. "A real match-winner." Steady half-centuries from Ponting, in his 100th one-day international, and Bevan stifled whatever hopes Pakistan might have entertained when Shoaib Akhtar removed Australia's openers early on.

Man of the Match: G. D. McGrath. Attendance: 39,041.