http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746: Analysis of Australia’s performance in the ODI series
Earlier, team Australia emphatically won the 5-match ODI series 3-2 against Sri Lanka, strengthening their No 1 ODI position and taking a long leap towards revival of their lost pride and status in international cricket. Once again they have proved that
they deserve to be the top team of the 50-over format of the game.
However, this victory has not come in plate as they have struggled a lot against the Lankan http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lions-c808 who have been showing sheer resilience and resistance throughout the series.
The series started on August 10. The Kangaroos won the first two games convincingly. Their dream of smooth series triumph was turned into nightmare by the Lankans who made a stunning and strong comeback in the 3rd ODI and swept the board by 78
runs.
This defeat alerted http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MJ-Clarke-c1978 and his men who felt overconfident after getting two back-to-back successes.
The 4th ODI was being perceived to be a tough competition but the Sri Lankan batsmen failed to unleash their traditional batting firework and the visitors marvellously maneuvered the victory.
The Lions roared again in the fifth and final One Dayer which they won by 4 wickets, finishing up the series with a 2-3 loss.
It will not be wrong to say that the Aussies have bagged the conquest with their consistent batting performances throughout the series. Their top-order had been impressive as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120, the skipper, have delivered
excellent batting business in almost all the five matches.
In the Fist ODI, Watson, Ponting and Clarke steered their side to chase down the target of 192 runs in just 38.1 overs by scoring excellent fifties. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 lashed 69 while Ponting and Clarke made 53 each.
The same happened in the 2nd ODI in which, Watson contributed 43 runs while Ponting and Clarke piled up 90 and 58 not out respectively to meet the target of 208 runs easily in 38.2 overs.
Interestingly, there is found great similarity in both these matches in terms of scores, averages and results.
The Kangaroos’ collapse in the 3rd match was due to the fact that their top batsmen could not score well. Watson fell for just 5 while Ponting could make 22. Though Clarke added 46 but the Lankans took the day, thanks to Lasith Malinga’s 5-wicket
haul.
In the 4th ODI, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Simon-James-Marshall-c90362 did the job of Ponting who fell on duck. With Marsh’s 70 and Clarke’s 38 runs, the visitors won the match by 5 wickets.
The situation changed in the final game as Australia batted first and lost despite their batsmen’s good feats. Though Watson, Ponting and Clarke scored 56, 31 and 47 respectively but they could not save their team from defeat as their bowlers did not work
well.
Some of the Australian bowlers also did really good job. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Brett-Lee-c48419 also bowled well.
The Aussies also did some fielding lapses but they did not have much effect on the results.
The series has proved that the 4-time World Champions have potential to retain their top ranks for years to come provided their current bunch of the experienced and talented batsmen perpetuate their form and fervency.
Team Australia’s this victory will prove to be a morale-booster for them in their upcoming series and tournaments against the big team like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. Indeed, it is their first step toward the ‘new cricket era’ they are going to build up.
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