Rampant Australia breeze into final (24 August 1999)

24 August 1999

Rampant Australia breeze into final

Richard Bright

Australia justified their tag of world champions as they demolished India by eight wickets in the second one-day match of the Aiwa Cup triangular one-day tournament yesterday.

Set to score 159 to win, Australia cruised to their target with the loss of just two wickets in 29.1 overs thanks to some lofty hitting by Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist, who both made 68 and who shared a 132-run secondwicket partnership. Symonds hit seven fours and a six in his run-a-ball innings. The pair came together after opener Mark Waugh was caught on 12 by wicketkeeper Mannava Prasad off the bowling of Venkatesh Prasad.

Gilchrist was caught by Rahul Dravid at mid-on as he lofted Saurav Ganguly when Australia needed just four runs to win the match and ensure their place in the final next week.

Earlier, some tight bowling by Australia restricted India to 151 off 38 overs in the rain-affected match. India, electing to bat first, had their innings interrupted by rain at 65 for three in the 21st over. After a 150-minute break the target was revised to 159 under the run-rate calculation.

Former Pakistan cricket captain and coach Javed Miandad yesterday recorded an in-camera statement before a one-man judicial commission probing match-fixing allegations.

The inquiry by Lahore High Court Judge Malik Mohammad Qayyum asked Miandad about reasons for his sudden resignation as national coach only three weeks before the World Cup in June. He had cited family commitments for the season.

Miandad, 43, said: "I was summoned and I told them about the reasons, of my resignation but I can't disclose anything."

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)