Was it a toe-crusher or a heart breaker? At first it seemed like the former, as the limp in Chris Gayle's walk to the pavilion — after getting hit on the foot by Brett Lee's first ball — proved.
But as 1/0 changed to 2/16, 3/20, 4/32, 5/55, 6/56, and later to 113 all out it became clear that besides being a toe-crusher it was a heart breaker too. Toe-crusher for Gayle, but a heart breaker for Brian Lara in particular and West Indies in general.
One said the 'Calypso was back' after West Indies' win over the Australia in the last league game. Today their 127-runs defeat in the tri-series final here showed that they are not quite there yet.
That exaggerated swagger in Lara's walk was missing today and that 'feel good' story about the return of the Caribbean Kings wasn't quite shaping up.
Gayle lbw Lee 0 (1) on the scoreboard was a significant blow in the context of the collective duel on field. On eve of the match while it was fashionable and market-friendly to showcase the West Indies-Australia final as a McGrath versus Lara showdown, but anyone in Malaysia, without the baggage of history, could tell that it was not so. West Indies' leading run-getter before this game was Gayle with 183 — Lara has scored 155.
While Lee wasn't just the chief wrecker for Australia but his 12 wickets from 3 games made him the tournament's highest wicket-taker.
The outcome of the clash becomes all the more important when the Aussies were dismissed for 240 as a disciplined West Indian bowling attack kept it in the right areas. For the Windies to win the contest it was important for their top order, especially Gayle, to click. But the Aussie bowling department —especially Lee — had proved against India that they can even defend a much modest target of 213.
If it took 8 balls for Lee to strike against India, here it came much sooner. He had given his word in the dressing to strike early, and he did keep his promise. The first ball after lunch, measured in the high 80s (mph), left Lee's hand and seemed to be heading for the off-stump, but suddenly swung in late to catch Gayle's foot. There was no time to Gayle to save his toe. In case he had, the injury would have been to the stumps. Ask Lee if he planned the 'killer ball' and he gives a hint that he did: "The plan was of course there to swing in the ball but never in my dream did I think that it will hit Gayle's toe. When it did I was really pleased." he replied.
It isn't nuclear science to know that a late swinger to a lazy left-hander, who is a self-confessed edgy starter, would be handful but to actually bowl one first-up would require the skills of a champion. And in case that happens to be the final, the batsman in front the top run-getter, and the target on board modest, the champion qualifies to be genius.
Aussie captain Ricky Ponting, who loves referring to Lee as the best ODI bowler in the world, called it a 'perfect start' and said that things were easy after that. "With Lee getting Gayle on the first ball, it gave us an early edge in the game," he said. And it wouldn't be wrong to add that the result tonight gave them an early edge in the Champions Trophy next month too — all because of that 'ball of the tournament' by the 'Man of the Tournament'.
- SANDEEP DWIVEDI