Waugh's Houdini act

A brief introduction into the methodology of Performance Analysis.

The Batting Performance Ratings analysis takes into account the Runs scored, Balls faced, Next highest score (if this is the highest score), % of Team score, Innings status at entry, Bowling quality, Pitch information, Team strengths, Target score in front, Match location, Result and Match importance. These parameters are given appropriate weights. The calculations are done in such a way that Rating points of 1000 would be allotted to a mind-blowing and match-winning score of 200 in 150 balls in a WC final.

The Bowling Performance Ratings analysis takes into account the Wickets captured, Quality of batsmen dismissed, Scores at which batsmen were dismissed, Bowling accuracy, Batting quality, Pitch information, Team strengths, Target being defended, Match location, Result and Match importance. The calculations are done in such a way that Rating points of 1000 would be allotted to a magnificent and match-winning analysis of 10-2-15-6 in a WC final.

The Player Performance Ratings analysis takes into account the Batting Rating points, Bowling Rating points and the Fielding Rating points, which is a combination of catches and stumpings. There are minimum criteria for batting and bowling stints to ensure that these are genuinely all-round performances.

The Team Performance Ratings analysis takes into account the Result, Margin of win, Resources utilized, Team strengths, Match location and Match importance. The calculations are done in such a way that Rating points of 1000 would be allotted to an overwhelming win by 150 runs or 8 wickets in a WC final.

Let us move on to the Performance Analysis tables for 1999.

Top Batting performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Batsman	For	Vs	Runs	Balls
1	533	1999	1463	SC Ganguly	India	Slk	183	158
2	463	1999	1481	SR Waugh	Australia	Saf	120*	110
3	445	1999	1477	NC Johnson	Zimbabwe	Aus	132*	144
4	400	1999	1463	R Dravid	India	Slk	145	129
5	384	1999	1482	Saeed Anwar	Pakistan	Nzl	113*	148
6	360	1999	1473	A Jadeja	India	Aus	100*	138
7	325	1999	1453	GM Hamilton	Scotland	Pak	76	111
8	318	1999	1479	Saeed Anwar	Pakistan	Zim	103	144
9	316	1999	1457	SR Tendulkar	India	Ken	140*	101
10	301	1999	1484	AC Gilchrist	Australia	Pak	54	36

There is no doubt that Steve Waugh's 120 was the most important innings of the World Cup. However Sourav Ganguly's huge innings of 183 takes the top place. There is a clear reason. This was against another top-eight Test team, not a minnow. And the Sri Lankan team had Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas. Then comes Waugh's masterpiece, one of the best World Cup innings ever. In third place is Neil Johnson's outstanding effort against Australia, albeit in a losing cause.

Rahul Dravid's huge hundred against Sri Lanka, appears next. This played the supporting role to Ganguly's effort. Saeed Anwar's hundred which took Pakistan to an easy win over New Zealand, is in fifth place. Ajay Jadeja's hundred deserves a special mention since he and Robin Singh scored over 85% of the Indian total. No one else crossed 8.

Top Bowling performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Bowler	For	Vs	Analysis
1	532	1999	1483	SK Warne	Australia	Saf	10.0 - 4 - 29 - 4
2	496	1999	1476	BKV Prasad	India	Pak	9.3 - 2 - 27 - 5
3	485	1999	1483	SM Pollock	South Africa	Aus	9.2 - 1 - 36 - 5
4	457	1999	1470	GD McGrath	Australia	Win	8.4 - 3 - 14 - 5
5	409	1999	1455	AA Donald	South Africa	Eng	8.0 - 1 - 17 - 4
6	408	1999	1452	GI Allott	New Zealand	Aus	10.0 - 0 - 37 - 4
7	407	1999	1484	SK Warne	Australia	Pak	9.0 - 1 - 33 - 4
8	402	1999	1483	AA Donald	South Africa	Aus	10.0 - 1 - 32 - 4
9	341	1999	1463	Robin Singh	India	Slk	9.3 - 0 - 31 - 5
10	335	1999	1458	Wasim Akram	Pakistan	Aus	9.5 - 1 - 40 - 4

Shane Warne's semi-final effort against South Africa, hailed by many as one of the greatest spin-bowling spells in World Cups, deservedly stands at the top. Conceding fewer than 3 runs per over and picking up four top wickets does not happen every other day. This is followed by Venkatesh Prasad's match-winning spell against Pakistan. Four of these were those of top batsmen.

Shaun Pollock's top-class spell of 5 for 36 should have won the match but for bizarre happenings in the last over of the South African innings. Glenn McGrath destroyed West Indies for 110, with an amazing spell of 5 for 14. This spell was almost a carbon copy of the Allan Donald spell which gave South Africa a huge 122 run win over England, after scoring only 225.

Top Player performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Player	For	Vs	Runs	Balls	Analysis
1	589	1999	1477	NC Johnson	Zimbabwe	Aus	132*	144	8.0-0-43-2
2	580	1999	1468	NC Johnson	Zimbabwe	Saf	76	117	8.0-1-27-3
3	487	1999	1453	GM Hamilton	Scotland	Pak	76	111	10.0-1-36-2
4	376	1999	1473	Robin Singh	India	Aus	75	94	7.0-0-43-2
5	376	1999	1451	L Klusener	South Africa	Slk	52*	45	5.2-1-21-3
6	372	1999	1478	JH Kallis	South Africa	Nzl	53*	36	6.0-2-15-2
7	354	1999	1464	TM Moody	Australia	Bng	56*	29	10.0-4-25-3
8	348	1999	1483	JH Kallis	South Africa	Aus	53	92	10.0-2-27-1
9	338	1999	1445	NC Johnson	Zimbabwe	Ken	59	70	10.0-0-42-4
10	335	1999	1467	SC Ganguly	India	Eng	40	59	8.0-0-27-3

Neil Johnson's batting effort has already been talked about. He had also captured the wickets of the Australian openers. This is the best player performance of 1999. Gavin Hamilton's all-round performance of 76 and 2 wickets was against a much stronger opponent. That too in a winning cause.

Robin Singh's performance was against Australia and I have already touched on the same. It is interesting to note that three of the top performances have been in losing causes.

Then come two South African all-rounders. Lance Klusener against Sri Lanka and Jacques Kallis against New Zealand. Each had a good fifty and a few overs of economical bowling.

Top Team performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Team	Own score	Vs	Other score
1	859	1999	1484	Australia	133 for 2 in 20.1	Pak	132 for 10 in 39.0
2	721	1999	1455	South Africa	225 for 7 in 50.0	Eng	103 for 10 in 41.0
3	706	1999	1482	Pakistan	242 for 1 in 47.3	Nzl	241 for 7 in 50.0
4	704	1999	1471	Bangladesh	223 for 9 in 50.0	Pak	161 for 10 in 44.3
5	696	1999	1479	Pakistan	271 for 9 in 50.0	Zim	123 for 10 in 40.3
6	682	1999	1465	West Indies	70 for 2 in 10.1	Sco	68 for 10 in 31.3
7	677	1999	1463	India	373 for 6 in 50.0	Slk	216 for 10 in 42.3
8	673	1999	1476	India	227 for 6 in 50.0	Pak	180 for 10 in 45.3
9	673	1999	1467	India	232 for 8 in 50.0	Eng	169 for 10 in 45.2
10	667	1999	1468	Zimbabwe	233 for 6 in 50.0	Saf	185 for 10 in 47.2

Australian demolition of Pakistan in the final was one of the greatest team performances in World Cups. This win gathered 859 points and it is very difficult to overtake this. Every department worked very well. Even the chase was performed quickly and efficiently. This is followed by South African dismantling of England, who did not even reach half the South African total.

In the semi-final Pakistan was nearly as ruthless against New Zealand as Australia were against them a few days later. The chase of a good total was perfect. Bangladesh's upset win over Pakistan ranks next. It was also a big win. Finally the non-contest between West Indies and Scotland appears in the fifth position.

This was a very odd World Cup. Look at the following happenings during the World Cup.
- India lost to Zimbabwe by 3 runs.
- South Africa lost to Zimbabwe by 48 runs.
- Pakistan lost to Bangladesh by 62 runs.
- Steve Waugh deliberately dawdled for over 40 overs to score 111, so that Australia's opponent, West Indies could qualify instead of New Zealand and so that Australia could carry over 2 more points. Looks like I have been imbibing the brown liquor. No I have not. This is true. Ultimately West Indies did not qualify and Australia won.
- The semi final match between Australia and South Australia ended in a tie and Australia qualified.
- Two of the teams were at a full-scale war in real life.

But the bottom line was that Australia could not afford to lose a single match from a certain point, they did not and won the World Cup. All credit to them. However one wonders what would have happened if an Asian team had dawdled for 40 overs deliberately.

The match of the tournament has to be a toss-up between Australia's steam-rolling Pakistan in the final and Zimbabwe's 48-run win over South Africa. The final would probably have to be given the nod because of the way Australia dominated the match and came out well in an event where they were not at their best. They finished the World Cup in a dominating manner which was a portent to their total domination in the next two World Cups.
The innings of the World Cup was Steve Waugh's magnificent 120 in 110 balls in the key super-six match against South Africa. Finito, it would have been if Australia had lost the match.
The bowling spell of 1999 has to be the Warne-special in the semi-final. He dismissed Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Hansie Cronje and Kallis for 29 runs in a magnificent exhibition of spin bowling to help Australia tie the match and go through to the final and beyond.