World Cup 2015: Superb Clarke leads Aussies back to top of one-day cricket

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is commonly referred to as a sports colosseum. The gigantic grandstands around the ground provide an intimidating backdrop to the pristine and hallowed turf. When a large crowd is in attendance, the noise reverberates, creating an ambience more reminiscent of a rock concert. It has been the site of many memorable sporting contests. The suffocating cauldron has overawed many over the years but conversely, it’s also where individual brilliance and team deeds can be etched in eternity. With more than 93,000 spectators at the MCG for the World Cup final, the swirl of expectation was palpable. The Trans-Tasman rivalry had been propelled to seismic heights. The two best teams had reached the final. Despite being underdogs, New Zealand’s all-round firepower and burgeoning self-belief was expected to unnerve strong favourites Australia. Plus, the Black Caps had been the only team to defeat Australia in the past four months. [caption id=“attachment_2178907” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Michael Clarke during his last ODI innings. AFP[/caption] But Australia relishes performing on the big stage. They thrive when the pressure is greatest and a packed MCG suited their innate desires of conquering the grand occasion. Much like 1999, 2003 and 2007, Australia made a mockery out of their fellow finalists with a seven-wicket thrashing of New Zealand. It was a flawless performance and cemented Australia’s standing as ODI’s premier team. The obliteration also confirmed their near home invincibility. Australia’s perceived issues - the lack of a front-line spinner and confusion over their third seamer - didn’t matter in the end. Timed to perfection, Australia played at their irresistible best at the business end. They made subtle but important changes. Josh Hazelwood’s accuracy and ability to combine with Mitchell Starc was preferred over Pat Cummins’ pace. Shane Watson was shifted to the middle-order, while Steve Smith was promoted to number three. It seems staggering in hindsight that Smith wasn’t always Australia’s nominated number three after he finished the World Cup with five consecutive scores of at least 50. New Zealand’s prospects of an upset increased when they won the toss and elected to bat on a seemingly flat pitch. But Australia were ready for battle immediately. They were clinical in their execution with ball, sharp in the field and Michael Clarke was typically aggressive in his captaincy. In contrast, New Zealand seemed slightly rattled and repeatedly threw away the advantage of batting first along with their wickets. As he has repeatedly done during the World Cup, Starc was the initiator. His battle with the destructive Brendon McCullum loomed as an important clash. It pitted the most damaging bowler of the tournament versus New Zealand’s audacious captain. The much-anticipated contest lasted a measly three deliveries, with McCullum unable to even lay bat on ball and was bowled for a duck. McCullum had the potential of decimating the Australian attack and his early departure was a cruel blow. Unlike the last time the teams met in Auckland, Australia’s bowling did not rely solely on Starc’s heroics. It was a complete team performance. Hazelwood is unlikely to get much plaudits but his nagging accuracy was a key factor in Australia’s ability to strangle New Zealand’s vaunted top-order. He conceed just 22 runs from his opening spell of seven overs. Mitchell Johnson had a somewhat erratic summer but he was building himself for a major tilt at the backend of the World Cup. His match-turning burst against India foreshadowed what was ahead. Against New Zealand, Johnson bowled with rhythm and speeds nudging 150kmh to finish with 3 for 30. But New Zealand showcased their resoluteness with a dogged 111-run fourth wicket partnership between the in-form Grant Elliott and Ross Taylor, who had been mired in a form slump. They milked the field and were exposing Australia’s back-up bowling struggles. A highly competitive score of more than 250 was a distinct possibility. Once again, Australia found a player to rise against adversity. The almost forgotten James Faulkner produced two wickets in three deliveries to trigger a fatal New Zealand collapse. The last seven wickets fell for 33 runs as they finished with a feeble 183. Faulkner had been described as Australia’s fulcrum, for his mastery at finishing innings with the bat and his subtlety as a left-arm medium pacer. He missed the early stages of the World Cup due to injury and hadn’t been greatly needed, but his cleverness with ball was too cunning for a nervy Kiwi batting line-up. He deservedly won the player-of-the-match award for his game-changing 3 for 36. Despite their meagre total, some believed New Zealand could summon a miraculous victory replicating India’s famous 1983 World Cup win over the powerful West Indies at Lords. Following the script, Australia lost Aaron Finch early to provide New Zealand with a glimmer of hope. But David Warner slapped a quick 45 together before Clarke, playing in his final ODI, Clarke rose to the occasion like a true champion. Clarke had struggled all tournament against short-pitched bowling but exuded composure and class to ensure there were no wobbles. Fittingly, it was Clarke, and his likely successor in Steve Smith, who guided Australia with a poised 112-run partnership. It was a linking of two generations of Australian cricket at an apt juncture. The victory signals the end of an era in Australian cricket. Clarke’s phenomenal ODI career is over, and Brad Haddin, Johnson and Watson could follow suit to prolong their Test careers. All have been important cogs in Australia’s ODI team in the last decade, but Clarke’s tactical genius will be especially missed. The Steve Smith era awaits, and it will be intriguing to see how his captaincy style differs from his predecessor. But they are issues for a later date. The celebrations have just begun in Australia, and the partying is set to continue for some time to come.