India surrender the baton

So we will have a trans-Tasman World Cup final come Sunday. But at the moment the most pressing issue for broadcasters Star Sports Network is to find a more global slogan after the departure of defending champions India with a crushing 95-run defeat at the hands of Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday, where it was not a case of 'won't give it back' but a kind of 'surrender it without a good fight' that was aplenty in the other semifinal at Auckland a couple of days back.

Millions of Indian fans, the best promoter and financier of cricket, expected a miracle from their captain MS Dhoni in the final 10 overs with the run-rate rocketing up. But a mooted Dhoni thunder never arrived. Interestingly, it ended with a lightning piece of fielding from Glenn Maxwell, who hit the bull's eye with a direct throw from short mid-wicket. As Dhoni, who understandably did not wait for the third umpire's decision, hurtled back to the dressing room, the SCG which was more bluish than gold, literally turned into a sea of blues.

It was coming, which the Indian might not have noticed or were not ready to accept -- to accept the fact that those seven wins before the semifinal will count for nothing against a side that is more superior not only in every department of the game than Dhoni's men but also mentally the toughest unit which the world of cricket has hardly witnessed.

Actually India were lucky to avoid more embarrassment thanks to a crucial spell from their best bowler Ravichandran Ashwin, who doused the Aussie ambition of a 400-plus score by dismissing Glenn Maxwell. Australia captain Michael Clarke might not have scored much but he won a good toss on a hard wicket and put his best batsman Steve Smith to flourish. Smith and Aaron Finch put on 182 runs in a second-wicket partnership where Smith's century, a first in a World Cup semifinal, was a poetry threaded with a symphony of lyrics, while Finch's was a daily work from a Tasman seaman. And here comes the question of adaptability that the Australian batsmen starting from Finch to Shane Watson showed when the chips were down. This is an area Indian batsmen, who love to stay in a comfort zone (spare me if I'm mistaken), failed miserably. They looked good in patches especially when they struck two good blows after Smith's departure and when Shikhar Dhawan was taking the attack to the opposition. But India were never in control while chasing a 300-plus score. Probably they had expected a Virat Kohli special. After the young stroke-maker was out cheaply, ideas seemed be have gone on vacation. The Australian cricket team is famous for its ruthless approach. Still, they felt the pressure and dropped two early catches in the Indian innings. But they have shown the mental toughness to rebound. If you need proof just replay those fantastic run outs.

India's pace battery had been impressive until yesterday when it came unstuck against a unit that is master against short-balls. Some may argue but just check the figures of their three pace bowlers and you won't find anything below 70. Like it or not they don't possess a three-in-one like Mitchell Johnson.

What a game he had! A nine-ball 28 followed by two priceless wickets (Rohit Shamna and Kohli) and some wonderful fielding.