 Cricket: Australia vs West Indies (DLF Cup Finals)
Australia vs West Indies
DLF Cup Finals - Malaysia
Date: 24 September, 2006
Having seen off India's timid challenge, Australia and West Indies will contest bragging rights in the DLF Cup final in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. For the first time in a competition where they have experimented with all types of combinations, Australia will be fielding their strongest side, and a West Indian team missing the experience and canny swing bowling of Corey Collymore will have its work cut out to be competitive.
The two teams split the two matches in the league phase, with West Indies having squandered a tremendous opportunity in the tournament opener, when they went from 172 for 1 to 201 all out. On Sunday though, they'll face the world's most potent new-ball attack, with Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee in tandem for only the second time in the competition.
West Indies' prospects will depend entirely on the top order, capable of shredding any attack on a good day. Brian Lara leads the way, and his 87 in the last game against Australia was touched with genius. Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul have also shown signs of exceptional form at various times in the tournament, and West Indies would love all four to make an impact against a bowling line-up that will be at them from the outset.
With a thigh injury depriving them of Collymore's services, West Indies' only real hope is to bat big and hope to pressure Australia's batsmen into mistakes. Chasing against the likes of Lee and McGrath is a difficult task at the best of times, and as India found out yesterday, the anaconda grip gets you eventually.
Australia 1 Simon Katich, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Brad Hogg, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Nathan Bracken, 11 Glenn McGrath
West Indies 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Brian Lara (capt), 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Wavell Hinds, 7 Runako Morton, 8 Dwayne Smith, 9 Carlton Baugh (wk), 10, Ian Bradshaw, 11 Jerome Taylor
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