All Oz could say was Bravo!

 

KUALA LUMPUR: West Indies booked a spot in Sunday’s final, putting India in a spot of bother, after surviving a nervous finish to beat Australia by three wickets at the Kinrara Oval on Monday.

 

Chris Gayle overcame a slow start and along with Brian Lara put the West Indians in cruise control after Brett Lee bowled a telling spell of fast bowling to keep things in check early on. A familiar story of the West Indian collapse was unfolding after Lara fell for 87 and his team lost three wickets that counted for only six runs in eight balls.

 

However, this time round, all-rounder Dwayne Bravo smashed Nathan Bracken for a huge six to ease the pressure as West Indies won with 16 balls to spare.

 

The victory gives West Indies nine points and now forces India to win back-to back matches on Wednesday and Friday to enter the final.

 

Earlier, Australian skipper Michael Hussey joined a select club of batsman to have scored a century in his first match in-charge when he steered the Australian innings that at one point of time was reeling at 64 for four. He got support from opener Matthew Hayden, who made a return to one-day cricket after more than a year, and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, who whacked Gayle for three of his four sixes.

 

However, 33 extras, 10 of them courtesy paceman Stuart Clark, who bowled a 11-ball over when Lara and Gayle were at the peak of their destructive powers, undid Hussey’s hard work. Clark was also hit for 21 runs off an over in his first spell to finish wicket-less. He, by virtue of all of this, bowled the expensive spell in one-day cricket history, equalling Bangladesh’s Tapash Baisya’s 7-87.

 

Young off-spinner Dan Cullen was thrown into the deep end and Lara hit him for three consecutive fours. Two of them were delicate late cuts that had the fielder interested till the end and later smashed him back over his head and into the sightscreen. Lara, who showed glimpses of his good form in the abandoned game against India, made his intent clear early on as he straight drove Nathan Bracken to the fence after cutting Clark for a similar result.

 

Gayle, who made 79, put on 151 in a third wicket match-winning partnership. Gayle fell to a lazy shot and Lee, back for a late spell, got Lara who mistimed a hook. With the top-four West Indian batsmen, including Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan back in the pavilion, the West Indian lower-middle order looked shaky. However, Bravo put up a performance that complemented his name to keep any further worries at bay.

 

 

Australia: M Hayden c Taylor b Bravo 49, S Katich run out 22, S Watson c Lara b Taylor 0, A Symonds c DR Smith b Bradshaw 8, M Clarke c Gayle b Bradshaw 1, M Hussey not out 109, B Haddin c Taylor b Bravo 70, B Lee not out 1. Extras (b1, lb5, w6) 12. Total (for 6 wickets, 50 overs) 272.

 

FoW: 1-41 2-42 3-57 4-64 5-104 6-270

 

Bowling: J Taylor 10-0-53-1, I Bradshaw 10-0-35-2 , C Gayle 7-0-46-0, D Smith 7-0-38-0, M Samuels 7-0-42-0, D Bravo 9-1-52-2

 

West Indies: C Gayle c Hussey b Watson 79, S Chanderpaul c Haddin b Lee 0, R Sarwan c Haddin b Bracken 25, B Lara c Hussey b Lee 88, D Bravo not out 37, W Hinds c Haddin b Lee 1, M Samuels run out 0, D Smith  b Symonds 4, C Baugh not out 7. Extras (lb5, nb11, w16) 32. Total (for 7 wickets, 47.2 overs) 273.

 

FoW: 1-12 2-44 3-195 4-242 5-249 6-249 7-255

 

Bowling: B Lee 10-0-46-3, N Bracken 9-0-31-1, S Clark 7-0-87-0, S Watson 10-0-43-1, A Symonds 5.2-0-27-1, D Cullen 6-1-34-0.