All set for a classic finale in Barbados-Preview
After two weeks of heart stopping, rip roaring, gut wrenching, spellbinding, and mesmerising cricket the stage is set for the final of the T-20 world championship between the two oldest foes in the history of our beloved game, Australia and England. The last two weeks in Grenada, St.Lucia and Barbados have brought scenes of joy, ecstasy, bewilderment, and astonishment besides a plethora of sixes, fours and heaps of wickets which have made cricket fans around the world gaze in shock, as they marvelled at some of the most incredible action in the history of the game.
We have had at least five nail biting finishes, and from the outset the tournament has provided action aplenty, climaxed by the greatest game of them all the second semi-final when “The Freak” Michael Hussey pulled off the most remarkable chase in the history of international T-20 snatching 18 runs of the last over bowled by the then most successful Pakistani bowler in the tournament off-spinner Saeed Ajmal.
From absolutely nowhere Pakistan had reached the semi-final, and for 95% of the semi-final yesterday it looked like that the Australian juggernaut is set for a halt before the final, before Hussey broke 170 million hearts. Though all will be forgotten when the two most consistent teams of the tournament line-up for the final of the third ICC T-20 championship at the Kensington oval in Barbados.
After their almighty scare in the semi-final, Michael Clarke’s men would be totally on-guard and focused at the job at hand, and given their clinical performance in the rest of the tournament they are overwhelming favourites. Many experts feel that the POMS shouldn’t even bother to turn up for the final, as the Australians are not going to let slip this opportunity come what may!
Yet there is something special, very special about the English squad that is lined up in the West Indies. For a change the POMS have adopted an attacking strategy, which revolves around the freedom to play shots even when the chips are down.
Led by Kevin Pietersen the squad boasts off the likes of Kieswetter, Lumb, Morgan, Luke Wright and Tim Bresnan who have all contributed to the team cause with attacking batsman ship.
Captain Paul Collingwood has also played some crucial innings in the middle overs, where he adopts the role of the senior pro, dropping sheet anchor when needed. The English bowling is also formidable with Sidebottom, Broad, Bresnan and spinners Swann and Yardy playing their role to the fullest tightening screws around the opposition batsmen. They are yet to concede a total beyond 150, and the reason for that is the variety and class that the men named above bring to the attack. The fielding has also been top class matching the Aussies; in between those two teams have taken some stunning catches in the competition.
Meanwhile the Aussies would once again be relying on the strength and depth in their squad, in both batting and bowling departments.
Through out the tournament one man or the other has pulled the team out of the mire, and Hussey, White, Watson or Warner has played the role of the messiah brilliantly. While the bowlers have looked in great form sans the bashing they received yesterday. The Barbados wicket would suit the Aussies more than the English as the Aussies have the fastest attack in the world in Tait, Nannes and Mitchell Johnson who would be even more potent on the Kensington oval wicket.
The English attack does not have the pace and menace of the Aussies, yet Sidebottom, Broad and Bresnan form a formidable trio. At the end of the day the team that can hold its nerve better on the big occasion is sure to succeed, let me also remind the readers that the Englishmen are yet to win an ICC global event, and this might be their best chance ever, albeit in their way is a team that has achieved the feat a mere six times!
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