Australia Thrashes New Zealand - Lifts WC - and Kiwis React So Well !!

The World Cup extravaganza that started on Feb 14 has culminated – Australia are the undisputed champs !  NZ started that day with a bang scoring 331 and defeating Sri Lanka.  Mccullum excelled with innovative aggressive field settings and more aggressive batting throughout – though all their matches were played in their own country, before this one at MCG. Baz, the performer said -  "We had Martin Crowe and John Key, our prime minister, in the changing room just before and they are incredibly proud of what we have able to achieve as well and they are just a couple of guys that we have been able to share it with and we have shared this with the whole country. It would've been nice to have won it but we are proud of what we have been able to achieve." New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum maded  no excuses for his side's heavy Cricket World Cup final defeat to Australia in Melbourne, simply shrugging his shoulders and saying "the best team won". New Zealand were rolled for 183 after winning the toss and batting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia completing a one-sided victory by chasing down the target for the loss of three wickets and with 16.5 overs to spare on the back of half centuries to retiring skipper Michael Clarke (74) and captain-in-waiting Steve Smith (56 not out). It was the ultimate anti-climax to a thrilling tournament. McCullum must have been hurting but he was gracious and in no mood for excuses. 547 Runs scored by Martin Guptill in the 2015 World Cup, the most by any batsman in the tournament. He is the only New Zealand batsmen to score 500-plus runs in a single World Cup. Scott Styris scored 499 runs in the 2007 edition.  0 Runs scored by Brendon McCullum in this match, the lowest by any captain in a World Cup final. No other captain has scored a duck in a World Cup final, with the previous lowest being Clive Lloyd's 8 against India in the 1983 final. From setting 5 slip cordon to smashing  an 18-ball fifty, Brendon McCullum has taken the team along – not today – he alongside Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi - failed to trouble the scorers proved a mountain too high to climb. It was New Zealand's worst nightmare realised, the World Cup reduced to a fizzer in front of 93,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. New Zealand were not undone by the boundary sizes or their first trip across the Tasman, they were simply and plainly outplayed by an Australian side operating a level above all their rivals for most of this magical tournament.  This wasn't supposed to be how it finished. Seven weeks of rollicking entertainment, replaced by a below par effort on the day when it counted most. But the Nation and their Press is hailing them ‘welldone’ for the performance thus far and not criticising too heavily for the poor show in the finals. India's exit from the World Cup with a crushing 95-run defeat to Australia should be neither surprise nor shock.  It was the conclusion of a World Cup campaign that was built on thin ice given the team's limitations and its ability to skate lightly over them. Following a miserable two months in Australia, the team did exceptionally well winning 7 matches bowling out their opponents before losing in the Semis.  The fans reacted with dismay, hurtling abuses, making comedy of Virat Sharma’s personal life.  Worser still, security was beefed up at captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s residence.    Every event offers lot of learning ~ India is the biggest democracy and follow Cricket crazily ……. With regards – S. Sampathkumar
29^th Mar 2015.