It was absolutely great to end the first phase of the TVS Cup with five straight wins. We have been playing pretty well so far although I was one of the few blokes who hadn't done much in the middle. Fortunately, I got my chance on Wednesday, and it was great to get a century just before the finals. I think it's important to notice that each of the players has contributed in one game or the other during the league phase of the tournament. This proves that we have come to terms with the conditions as well as the opposition.
Bangalore, we knew, was a venue at which India had won some really good games against us. However, the wicket we saw this time was a great wicket to bat on. It had bounce and good carry, and it was a great toss to win. The fact that I called right was perhaps the only difference between Wednesday's game and the World Cup finals at Wanderers. There were many similarities between the two games—15 runs in the first over, big scores by Gilly and myself, and good contributions from Matt and Marto. The total too was near-identical, thus making India's run chase a difficult one from the start itself. I was happy with the way I batted. I had been hitting the ball well even in Guwahati, but in Bangalore I really got my rhythm back. There was a slice of luck involved, but I believe these things invariably even out.
The Indian innings charted a course that was different from the one they took in the World Cup finals, the biggest difference being that Sachin Tendulkar hung on and made a valiant effort. Sachin has really been keeping his best for us in this series, and while he was there, the spectators believed in miracles. However, seven an over from the start has never been achieved and our bowlers had no trouble defending 347. To be fair to them, they have been marvellous right through this tournament, and deserved a relatively easy day at the office.
The victory at Guwahati was also a significant one for us, since we had to bat first at 8.30 am on a wicket that did something in the first hour. There were some early flutters, but the ever-reliable Michael Bevan ensured that we had enough on the board. There are many quality finishers in world cricket today, but Bevan remains the Great Original. His consistency and ability to score quickly while taking minimal risks just puts him in another class.
We have had a few interesting games against New Zealand over the last few months, starting with a close one against them in the World Cup. They have definitely had their chances, but our rearguard damage control has seen us through on more than one occasion. They are playing good cricket, however, and were in the hunt at Guwahati till Scott Styris got out.
We are in the finals, and do not have any favourites as to whom we want to meet in Calcutta. The Hyderabad game promises to be a really exciting one, and it's good for the tournament that one finalist will be decided in the last preliminary match. I think the top order not firing has put the Kiwis in some strife, but with guys like Stephen Fleming, you never know when they will come good. Fleming has the knack of playing out of his skin when his team is in a spot, and that's exactly what the team will expect from him at Hyderabad.
From the Indian point of view, the way Saurav Ganguly was hitting the ball augurs well for the hosts. I'm sure the captain himself must be quite relieved since it can often take a few matches for a player coming off an injury to hit good form. In fact, the batting looks pretty strong at the moment, and if they win the toss, it could be a huge factor. The only area of worry would be the wicketkeeping option. Dravid is a class batsman, and tries hard behind the wickets. The Indian think-tank will be weighing the option of playing a regular wicketkeeper for the Hyderabad game, and it will be interesting to see what decision they take.
Coming back to our performance, there are a few areas we will be focusing on before the finals. The fielding has been ordinary in patches, particularly at the boundary. This is pretty much out of character for our team, and we will pay special attention to it before the finals. However, I'm pretty happy with the batting and bowling. I had spoken about the bowling in my last article too, and it continues to be consistent. The batting has improved as the tournament has gone by, and while the opposition has not been doing anything wrong, we have been dominating by hitting even good balls for boundaries. "Intent" and "Intimidate" were catchwords for us during the World Cup, and I think we have carried on in that spirit here. It is also heartening to see flamboyant strokeplay tempered with common-sense cricket. At Bangalore, there was turn for both Anil Kumble and Murali Kartik. However, we played them sensibly and ensured that we scored 110 runs in the 20 overs they bowled. We hardly went after them, right till the end of their respective spells. Eventually, there was not too much of a difference between the number of boundaries the two teams scored. It was the common-sense cricket that we played in between the big shots that got us to such a big score.
Looking ahead at the finals, it's been a long time since Australia have played a one-day game at Eden Gardens. There is no doubt that it is one of the special venues of world cricket, and that the buzz there is really special. I remember the Test we played here in 2000-01, when V.V.S. Laxman scored his epic knock. The noise and atmosphere was overwhelming. Bangalore, meanwhile, gave us a good dress rehearsal for the "atmosphere aspect" of the game on Wednesday itself.
We have been the best side in the early phase of the tournament, and that is a huge boost to us ahead of the finals. However, it does not mean that we have guaranteed ourselves a win in the finals. We have taken two days off for recovery and light training, before getting back to serious practice on Saturday and Sunday.
Looking at the larger picture, we have always wanted to prove ourselves on all surfaces, in all parts of the world. If we do well in Calcutta, it will be a big step in that direction. Looking ahead, it would also be a great morale-booster for us before India's tour to Australia. Perhaps this experience will also serve us well when we come back to India for the long tour in 2004-end.