Australia has always been a powerhouse in cricket, and the amazing streak in the ICC Cricket World Cup shows just how dominant they have been up till now. It was 18 years ago when they bagged that 50-over global title for the third time running-it really entrenches them at the top. Their opponent in the final match of the 2007 World Cup was Sri Lanka, and it was held in the Caribbean paradise called Barbados.
With obvious adverse weather conditions upfront abbreviated the match at Kensington Oval, the Aussies on aggressive stormed their way to a score of 281 runs for 4 wickets in just 38 overs. Ricky Ponting was heading the charge, commanding a team which seemed almost impossible to beat. As it turned out, it is again Australia that won convincingly in today’s contest; when Sri Lanka got their turn to bat, they scored only 215 runs for 8 wickets. With light fading, they had to call it a day about two overs early; so that was a clear win for Australia.
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One of the final highlights is Adam Gilchrist. This guy had been having a rough time in the tournament, but he stood up to the plate where it mattered the most. He smashed brilliant 149 runs off just 104 balls, hitting 13 fours and 8 sixes. His amazing performance literally knocked the fight out of the Sri Lankans, making it tough for them to recover over the tricky surface.
There was also the pressure of wanting to keep up with the run rate that hampered players such as Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara, who both scored half-centuries for Sri Lanka. Wickets just kept tumbling down, and they just couldn’t quite get back in the game. The Australian bowlers were good and hence there were no big bumps on the road after the impressive innings by Gilchrist took them ahead.
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At the end of it all, Gilchrist was named Player of the Match for that final, which was more than deserved. And not to mention his fellow teammate, Glenn McGrath. McGrath was definitely a whirlwind during the tournament, finishing off his international career with a staggering 26 wickets over 11 matches in the 2007 World Cup, for he was adjudged as Player of the Tournament.
This made it the third World Cup title for Australia, after 1999 and 2003, and its phenomenal record of 11 straight wins made them establish their dominance. They flatten all in the group stage: Netherlands, Scotland, and South Africa. They joined West Indies, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, England, Ireland, and Bangladesh during Super 8. Then, in the semi-final, they took care of the Proteas and then showed just how formidable they were heading into the finals against Sri Lanka.
