WISE INVESTMENT: Shane Watson and Nathan Bracken (left) have begun to fire in the international arena. — PHOTO: AFP

The final was a big letdown after the West Indies started well. But not for nothing do these Australians have so much of self-belief and an ingrained sense of being winners in them. It's difficult to judge by the scores that Australians probably had their worst pummelling in years in the early overs of a match.

Amidst the creaks and groans of its warriors now getting on in years, Australia has unearthed two serious young talents. Nathan Bracken and Shane Watson plugged the gaps when things were going wrong.

Serious talent

Bracken was brilliant with the new ball. His deliveries can swing a long way, sometimes defying the angle at which they pitch and occasionally dip back alarmingly at batsmen cramping them up for space.

He is also good enough to vary his pace when nothing works. We saw this new facet of his bowling when the West Indies was on a rampage. A few more wicketless overs and the Calypso Kings would have been all over Australia. Luckily, Bracken stood in the way. The ball to dismiss a rampaging Gayle was arguably the best of the tournament.

Watson also lent his considerable weight in bowling and batting. There were concerns if his shot-selection was on par with his technique and crunchy hits. He chose to address it on a big stage; letting go the balls outside off, presenting a straight bat when pitched in line and working it off the legs whenever it slid on to his pads.

These Australians make their investment in young talents wisely. Bracken and Watson did not take long to come up with answers to alien conditions. They absorbed the lessons of Malaysia, the shocks of a few early tremors in India and are now better off for it. All Australia now need is another good spinner on hand for these conditions and who knows Dan Cullen might be working on his own tutorials sitting in the dressing rooms of Malaysia and India.

Golden oldies

Let's also not forget to take a bow to the golden oldies. Glenn McGrath, the champion that he is, went for 22 in his first two overs and then in the next five overs yielded only two runs. He made life difficult for Brian Lara before snaring him behind the stumps. An exceptional player is one who can recover from a beating. McGrath surely is one.

Damien Martyn was again sumptuous. You watch him in different conditions at Mohali or Mumbai or Jaipur and he always seems to be in complete control.

His footwork and the ease with which he finds the gap are breathtaking. Australia lost early wickets in this tournament and invariably Martyn came good. He has survived the reversal of Ashes only because he is so damn good. The West Indies, on the other hand, now does not need to look beyond Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul as its opening pair. Both are unorthodox and if purists' are upset, it is nothing compared to what they do to bowlers' confidence. You just cannot have a plan for them on their day.

One has not seen such sights on a cricket field often when Australians often would huddling after every other delivery. Gayle and Chanderpaul They could still be tested on livelier wickets but at least for the World Cup, they would do.

West Indies now has a clear grasp of areas which need a leg up. Its batting needs to be shored up and it needs a fit, hungry and keen Lara.

It needs a better batsman in its wicketkeeper, some good finishers for the final overs and a couple of other good medium-fast bowlers. Its top order and fielding have improved drastically. Other teams now must look to find ways so that there is no repeat of these finalists in the World Cup in a few months from now.

India, as the organiser, was defeated in its quest by the quality of pitches. There was more than an even contest between bat and ball than we have come to accept in one-dayers. There would still be questions on whether day-night matches should have started earlier to avoid the dew factor playing an important part in determining a result. That Australia still won showed that champions usually find a way to prevail over the elements. — PTI

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