: For a team which couldn't chase 250 in perfect batting conditions about 72 hours ago, getting 100 more even on a batting beauty seemed too tall a task.
So what if bowling was reduced to an exercise in futility and Australia were without all first-choice bowlers.
The target still looked Himalayan because more than 350 in a winning cause batting second has happened just once in an ODI, three years ago in Johannesburg.
With nearly everything favouring an Australian win halfway through the fifth ODI, the cricket god turned his head towards this game. And the one blessed almost proved that wonders aren't restricted to the Wanderers only.
In an unforeseen twist to the script made possible by a sublime batting display that only a genius is capable of, Sachin Tendulkar almost single-handedly undid the brilliant job done by Australia's batsmen.
It was perhaps one of the best innings in the history of the 50-over game for the way it was paced, the improvisations and the shots, some of which were beyond description. The judgment shown in running was impeccable and considering the battering the 36-year-old body had taken in close to two decades of international cricket, it was a superhuman effort.
But Tendulkar is no ordi nary man. He was quiet when Virender Sehwag cut loose, patient when India a lost three wickets 4, in the middle overs ne and in command ia throughout in this unbelievable exhibition of bold and beautiful batting. Not that it had a hugely inspiring effect on his teammates but Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in only to lose their cool in the end.
India, it seemed, had things under control with 46 needed in six overs, five of them constituting the period of batting powerplay. They had four wickets in hand and asking rate was not an issue. The anti-climax came in the 48th over when the most heroic ODI innings on Indian soil ended, followed by Jadeja being run out.
Australia owed their total to the 145-run opening stand between Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh. Marsh weighed in with a maiden ODI hundred, Watson missed his fifth by seven runs and everybody else contributed which turned out to be the difference between the teams in the end.
Cameron White played a late blinder with effortless heaves over the ropes. Another reason why Australia won was their supremacy in the powerplay periods. The 20 overs with field restrictions fetched 141 runs for the loss of one wicket. India didn't help their cause by dropping Marsh twice and the ground fielding too was patchy.
There was little to believe that such errors would go unpunished but Tendulkar of course was thinking differently. This cerebral factor was missing when it came to others in the team, which made it 32 Australia with two to go. Otherwise, it could easily have been Australia 2, India 2 and W Tendulkar 1.
: For a team which couldn't chase 250 in perfect batting conditions about 72 hours ago, getting 100 more even on a batting beauty seemed too tall a task.
So what if bowling was reduced to an exercise in futility and Australia were without all first-choice bowlers.
The target still looked Himalayan because more than 350 in a winning cause batting second has happened just once in an ODI, three years ago in Johannesburg.
With nearly everything favouring an Australian win halfway through the fifth ODI, the cricket god turned his head towards this game. And the one blessed almost proved that wonders aren't restricted to the Wanderers only.
In an unforeseen twist to the script made possible by a sublime batting display that only a genius is capable of, Sachin Tendulkar almost single-handedly undid the brilliant job done by Australia's batsmen.
It was perhaps one of the best innings in the history of the 50-over game for the way it was paced, the improvisations and the shots, some of which were beyond description. The judgment shown in running was impeccable and considering the battering the 36-year-old body had taken in close to two decades of international cricket, it was a superhuman effort.
But Tendulkar is no ordi nary man. He was quiet when Virender Sehwag cut loose, patient when India a lost three wickets 4, in the middle overs ne and in command ia throughout in this unbelievable exhibition of bold and beautiful batting. Not that it had a hugely inspiring effect on his teammates but Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in only to lose their cool in the end.
India, it seemed, had things under control with 46 needed in six overs, five of them constituting the period of batting powerplay. They had four wickets in hand and asking rate was not an issue. The anti-climax came in the 48th over when the most heroic ODI innings on Indian soil ended, followed by Jadeja being run out.
Australia owed their total to the 145-run opening stand between Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh. Marsh weighed in with a maiden ODI hundred, Watson missed his fifth by seven runs and everybody else contributed which turned out to be the difference between the teams in the end.
Cameron White played a late blinder with effortless heaves over the ropes. Another reason why Australia won was their supremacy in the powerplay periods. The 20 overs with field restrictions fetched 141 runs for the loss of one wicket. India didn't help their cause by dropping Marsh twice and the ground fielding too was patchy.
There was little to believe that such errors would go unpunished but Tendulkar of course was thinking differently. This cerebral factor was missing when it came to others in the team, which made it 32 Australia with two to go. Otherwise, it could easily have been Australia 2, India 2 and W Tendulkar 1.