India vs Australia match highlights.*India vs Australia, ICC World Cup 1999 – Super Six Match Summary*
*Venue*: Kennington Oval, London
*Result*: Australia won by 77 runs
*Toss*: India won the toss and elected to field
*Points*: Australia 2, India 0
*Player of the Match*: Glenn McGrath
This was the 1st match of the Super Six stage. Australia had no carry-over points and needed a win badly. India came in with huge confidence after centuries from Tendulkar, Ganguly, and Dravid in the group stage.
### 1. Australia Innings: 282/6 in 50 overs
*Key partnerships & batting*
1. *Opening stand*: Mark Waugh 83 off 99 + Adam Gilchrist 31 off 52 = 97 runs in 20.1 overs. They survived Srinath, Prasad, Mohanty under overcast skies.
2. *Middle overs*: Mark Waugh + Ricky Ponting added 60 in 10 overs. Waugh played a classy innings, 50 off 65 balls with 4 fours + 1 six.
3. *Double strike by Robin Singh*: He broke the partnership by getting Waugh caught by Prasad and then bowled Ponting 23. Score went 157/2 to 158/3 in 3 balls.
4. *Finish*: Steve Waugh 36 off 40, Darren Lehmann 26, Michael Bevan 22, Tom Moody 26_. Australia scored 78 runs in last 10 overs.
*Top scores*: Mark Waugh 83, Steve Waugh 36, Gilchrist 31.
*India bowling*:
- Robin Singh 2/43 in 7 overs
- Javagal Srinath 0/34 in 10 overs, very economical
- Venkatesh Prasad 1/60
- Sourav Ganguly 1/31
Australia were 282/6 – a tall target on a seaming Oval pitch.
### 2. India Innings: 205 all out in 48.2 overs 1165
*The collapse – “McGrath quells India”*:
1. *Top order destroyed by McGrath*: India’s biggest threat was Sachin vs McGrath. McGrath won that battle early.
- *Sachin Tendulkar*: c Gilchrist b McGrath 0 off 4 balls. 1/1 in 0.6 overs.
- *Rahul Dravid*: c Gilchrist b McGrath 2 off 6. 2/10 in 2.5 overs.
- *Mohammad Azharuddin*: Steve Waugh b McGrath 3 off 9. India were 4/17 in 6.2 overs.
McGrath finished 3/34 in 10 overs and got Player of the Match.
2. *Middle order fightback*:
- *Sourav Ganguly*: Damien Fleming 8. India were 3/12.
- *Robin Singh 75 off 94* and *Ajay Jadeja 100_ off 138* added 141 runs for the 5th wicket. This took India from 17/4 to 158/5. Jadeja carried his bat and made a century under pressure.
3. *Tail collapse*: Once Robin Singh fell c Reiffel b Moody for 75, the last 5 wickets fell for 47 runs. Steve Waugh 2/8 and Fleming 2/33 cleaned up.
*Fall of wickets*: 1-1 Tendulkar, 2-10 Dravid, 3-12 Ganguly, 4-17 Azharuddin, 5-158 Robin Singh, 6-181 Mongia, 7-186 Srinath, 8-192 Kumble, 9-204 Prasad, 10-205 Mohanty.
### 3. The Suspense & Key Moments
1. *Sachin vs McGrath showdown*: Everyone came to see this battle. McGrath got him for 0 with an outswinger caught by Gilchrist. That wicket broke India’s back early.
2. *Robin-Jadeja partnership*: At 17/4, India were finished. Robin Singh and Ajay Jadeja’s 141-run stand gave India hope. Jadeja’s unbeaten 100* was one of the best WC knocks in a losing cause. The crowd thought India might still pull it off.
