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Australia goes through to the final

S. Ram Mahesh

Dinesh Mongia stands tall as Brett Lee wreaks havoc with a five-for

PHOTO: S. SUBRAMANIUM

WRECKER-IN-CHIEF: Brett Lee brought a bully's threat to the contest and finished with five.

Kuala Lumpur: A man Indian cricket had seemingly forgotten played the innings of his life. Having featured in his last ODI on his 28th birthday in April 2005, Dinesh Mongia, constructed an un-defeated 90-ball 63 with five fours on a surprising return — inspired moment of selection or pure fluke? — and stitched together important middle and lower order partnerships.

The left-hander, who made 800 First Class runs for Leicestershire at 53.33 last season to fight back into contention, even defied Brett Lee, who in turn brought a bully's threat to the contest and finished with five.

But, Australia isn't the world's best side for nothing: Ricky Ponting's men scrapped to a hard-fought 18-run win, which will see them — and not India — clash with West Indies for the DLF Cup on Sunday. If the final can churn out three-quarters of the drama Friday's low-scoring encounter managed, it will have done well.

Crucial moment

For, the match had many moments of pivot: the one India will rue most is Harbhajan Singh failing to run Brad Haddin out. Australia, after electing to bat, had been reduced to 99 for five, when Michael Hussey decided to run a non-existent two. Trying to make the non-striker's crease, Haddin failed as Harbhajan broke the stumps after collecting R.P. Singh's throw from the deep. Except, between the moment of collection and the moment of disturbing woodwork, the ball had left Harbhajan's hand.

The error was as egregious as it was elementary from a man who bowled his off-breaks magnificently. Haddin, on one then, went on to make 46, and shared in a key 77-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Brad Hogg. The partnership helped Australia eke out 213 where 160 once looked a tough ask. As it turned out, the Haddin-Hogg alliance gave Lee just enough to work with. And the blond paceman was Ponting's go-to man on Friday in a side that contained that grand daddy, Glenn McGrath.

Lee bumped off Sachin Tendulkar after a bizarre calling-back incident with a 90.5 mph thunderbolt that zig-zagged from off to outside off, catching the master batsman on the hop. Hussey, at point, held on, and the Australians celebrated Tendulkar's dismissal a second time.

Bizzare incident

The first instance occurred during the second over when umpire Mark Benson ruled him out, caught behind off McGrath, despite ball taking shoulder instead of bat. Benson then reversed his decision — much to Ponting's ire — after appearing to receive a mobile missive from the third umpire.

Lee blasted through Sehwag's airy cover drive with an off-cutter. Mohammad Kaif, who along with Mongia replaced an indisposed Yuvraj and Sreesanth — surprisingly dropped — in the eleven, began to find his touch in his skipper's company, but Stuart Clark's search for redemption came in the way.

— Photo: S. Subramanium

TERSE EXCHANGE? An incensed Australian captain Ricky Ponting has a word with Sachin Tendulkar after the Indian maestro was recalled to the crease by umpire Mark Benson in the DLF Cup ODI tri-series match in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. In a rare instance, Benson ruled Tendulkar out, caught behind [off the shoulder] off Glenn McGrath; and then consulted his on-field colleague, Asad Rauf, and reversed the decision. Tendulkar, however, was dismissed by Brett Lee on the same score of four. Australia knoc ked out India by 18 runs to meet the West Indies in Sunday's final.

Clark held out a grateful right hand to snag Kaif, who pushed at a delivery that stopped on him, and followed it up by finding Dravid in front. Mongia added 46 with Suresh Raina, whose more memorable contribution this match was a spectacular air-borne, two-handed take at point to give India its first breakthrough.

The 62-run partnership with M.S. Dhoni should have continued for India to have had a chance. The wicketkeeper has a good cricket mind, and has proved himself equal to several difficult tasks in the past. He ran hard before smashing Clark straight for six. Mongia, meanwhile, was using his high-on-the-handle grip to drive through the gaps in the infield. But, Dhoni found Martyn at the sweeper cover boundary off Lee, who had been brought on for a two-over spell.

Australia grew generous, giving India two sets of five wides, but it soon came down to last man Munaf. Mongia scrambled a surprising single off the fourth ball, leaving the batting bunny two Lee deliveries to see out. The speedster from New South Wales needed just one.

Earlier, India's bowlers turned in their second straight top-drawer performance. Except for the period after Harbhajan's impeccable spell when Haddin and Hogg feasted on Mongia and Sehwag, the bowlers had the Australian batsmen on a leash. Matthew Hayden, who had looked like a butcher who had misplaced his Size 14 meat cleaver in the innings of 49 against West Indies, showed definite signs of returning to form.

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