An hour’s drive separates the Wanderers in Johannesburg and the SuperSport Park in Centurion. The two games played at the venues on Wednesday were intertwined.
The result at the SuperSport Park had the potential to affect the game at the Wanderers and also decide who among Australia and India would be the second team to advance to the semifinals. Pakistan had to beat Australia in Centurion for India, who were playing West Indies in Johannesburg, to stay alive in the tournament. To their credit the Indians bowled well to make sure they didn’t have to chase down a huge total.After all, it could boil down to net run rates.
For the record, India knocked off West Indies’ total of 129 in 32.1 overs losing seven wickets. But it was for a lost cause
Younus Khan wished for a India versus Pakistan final on the eve of the double-header and his team looked like they were going to do India a big favour. The progress of Australia’s chase was updated through the loud speakers and each time a wicket fell the cheers of the Indian supporters, a majority of whom were stationed beside the Indian dressing room, grew louder.
After a while the West Indies innings wasn’t being watched closely as Australia began wobbling. The Indian players knocked over the West Indian batsmen and were quickly in their dressing room glued to the TV sets watching Australia fight till the finish.
While fielding, the team got updates from the dressing room during the drinks breaks. The announcement on the loudspeakers kept the side postedon the happenings between overs. When Dinesh Karthik and Gautam Gambhir went out to bat the rest of the team, including coach Kirsten were watching the final few overs.
Ashish Nehra, who was having a mid-match chat with Sanjay Manjrekar, was up-to-date with what was happening in Centurion. In the media centre channels were switched to watch the game in Centurion. The possible number of overs in which India would have to overhaul the target set by West Indies were quickly calculated as at one point it looked like Australia were going to crumble under pressure.
When the final over started, the fans along the Indian dressing room, stopped watching the match in the middle, and tried to get a glimpse of what was happening at Centurion. As Nathan Hauritz and Brett Lee ensured that the game would at least end in a tie if not a win for Australia it was clear for everyone at the Wanderers, including Team India that they were now only playing for pride.
The bowlers had come good earlier, with Nehra and Praveen Kumar taking three wickets each and Harbhajan Singh making up for his previous failures. Mahendra Singh Dhoni decided to roll his arm over and even managed to take a wicket as the West Indies were bowled out for 129. India chased down the target in 32.1 overs losing only three wickets. Delhi lad Virat Kohli came good with the willow, hammering an unbeaten 79. But the entire effort was too little and, needless to say, came too late.
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