I thought a reduced game would improve Sri Lanka’s chances, because they did get a chance to contain the champions in conditions that helped the bowlers. Unfortunately for them, Gilchrist powered his team to a total that the islanders would have challenged the 1996 champions even in a 50-over game. The Lankans needed an innings that was equal to Gilchrist’s, but then lightning does not strike in the same place twice, even on a stormy Barbadian afternoon.

Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya did threaten for a while, but the asking rate was always going to be tough to keep up with. The Sri Lankans played spirited cricket, but there was just too much too do in the second half. The game was marred in the end by some bizarre events, and while it is not for me to say whether the umpires got it right or wrong, I am sure there were easier ways to end the game rather than play in the dark. It was impossible to see what was happening in the field from the stands, and it was amusing to see the players get back for three overs after the scoreboard had congratulated Australia.

Apparently, Mahela Jayawardene requested Ponting to let his team have a go for another three overs. The latter sportingly agreed when he could have been more brutal and demanded the game be declared over since 20 overs had been crossed. There was a lot of confusion out there in the middle, and the spectators in the stands did not know what was happening.

Australia’s supremacy in the game now crosses a decade, and there are those who feel that this is unhealthy for cricket. As far as I am concerned, Team Australia is the best thing to have happened to cricket in the recent past. The players comprise a talented, committed, professional unit that is created by a system focused on excellence in cricket. Their excellence is unhealthy only for those individuals who are happy to be dominated by Ponting and his men. These players should try to emulate the Australians and play with the same intent and aggression, instead they tend to get awestruck and freeze.

The sports bodies and teams in countries like India and in the West Indies should not worry about Australia’s hegemony. Instead, they should try and emulate their excellence, and learn from the champions. The Australians enjoy each other’s success and play as a unit. They have engendered a team spirit that ensures that somebody steps up on a given day and wins it for his team. When one team raises the bar, the rest must emulate. Perhaps Indians and West Indians should be trying to do that instead of worrying about the health of the sport. The sport is great enough to look after itself, it’s the teams and the systems in these countries that should worry cricket lovers.

Gameplan