Australians continue their pre-eminence

The Australian cricket team has been winning almost every match over the last four years and came to the 8th World Cup in southern Africa as pre-tournament favourites. At the end of it they went home with the trophy, retaining it without losing a single match.

Ricky Ponting, who took over captaincy from legendary Steve Waugh last year, led his team from the front in an attacking and inspirational manner, as his team became the first in history to win the World Cup for the third time.

They outplayed every opposition they came up against and in every department of the game too, certainly the deserved winners. No matter the toss was won or lost, no matter batted first or bowled first - whatever they did was to perfection and not left to chance. They approached every game with a gung-ho attitude and reaped the harvest.

The Australians started off their World Cup campaign under the most trying conditions - just before their first game against Pakistan, champion spinner Shane Warne was sent back home after failing a drug test. Most other teams would not have coped and probably faltered but not the Aussies. They showed tremendous mental strength as they came into the Pakistan game as if nothing had happened, it was `business as usual' for them.

Even when they were in a spot of bother, reduced to 146-5 in the 30th over they never gave up. Andrew Symonds, lucky to be at the Aussie squad in first place, stood up and scored a magnificent 143 not out to lead the charge as Australia accumulated a mammoth 310-8. Next their bowlers got into the act and despite a late Pakistan assault bowled them out for 228 to win by 82 runs.

Similarly, in the final against India, they lost both openers after a good start and could have lost more wickets but skipper Ponting and batsman Damien Martyn first made sure there were no further losses. After playing themselves in, both went on a rampage and belted the Indian bowling to every nook and cranny of the Wanderers to pile up a monstrous 359-2, Ponting ending with 140 and Martyn on 88. In every time of trouble, one or other Australian player stood tall to help his team in the most appropriate manner.

Another aspect of Australian victories was they excelled in both batting and bowling rather than depending on just one department. Batters did their job and the bowlers did their job. The latter proved, once again, to be the best in the business. Even after losing two main weapons in Shane Warne and Jason Gillespie they never showed the smallest chink in their armour as solace to oppositions.

It is often said a genuine fast bowling attack can make captaincy so much easier and Ricky Ponting will be the first one to agree with this. Both Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee were simply brilliant and Andy Bichel, coming in for Gillespie, took wickets in a heap and never let the team feel his absence. Most impressive was Brett Lee, the New South Welshman, in the best form of his life to take 22 wickets bowling with utmost fire and pace.

All critics agree Australia is indeed one of the best if not the best team in history. The outstanding successes achieved recently suggest that Ricky Ponting is a marvellously astute captain. I would stress this side is so good it really does not need a captain at all!

Nearly all players are thinking cricketers; they foresee every move to be made and where to field, how to bat and where to bowl according to the situation. They have gelled well as cohesive unit, which makes them an even stronger opposition. There were so signs of rivalry or tension in them unlike some other teams and each player backed the other as if they were brothers.

The Aussies also figured out their opposition players extremely well by focusing on a batsman's weakness or targeting a weak fielder, extracting mistakes through the added pressure. Their other philosophy was 'attack being the best form of defence'. Even if the chips were down like in the Super Six match against New Zealand and in the semi-final against Sri Lanka when bowled out for comparatively low scores, they came out to bowl all guns blazing and blasted them with an attacking and positive game plan.

The merit of any teams performance must be judged against the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition. This applies to players as well when assessing their records, be they batsmen, bowlers or wicketkeepers. Many a false reputation has been achieved against weaker opponents!

The acid test of greatness comes when a team must face awkward situations, strong opposition, and especially if a team has some precious players missing.

Thus, this Australian team has every right in the world to be called great. Indeed, they are a cut above the rest and are in a league of their own.

This World Cup was just a start and as their coach John Buchanan has said 'we can still improve'; they surely will make life for others more difficult. So it may be best to wish the best of luck to the others in coming years.