The Hindu : Gilchrist and Ponting put it beyond England; Warne seriously injured

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 16, 2002

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Gilchrist and Ponting put it beyond England; Warne seriously injured

By Ted Corbett

MELBOURNE Dec. 15. The future of Shane Warne, the world's finest leg break bowler, just nine short of 500 Test victims and a key player in Australia's attempt to win the World Cup for a third time, was in doubt tonight after a simple fall on his right elbow dislocated his shoulder.

The word from the dressing room, after Warne had been carried in agony from the MCG, his home ground--as his devoted fans clapped in that measured way which showed their concern--was that the shoulder had been replaced cleanly.

He would not go to hospital but will be seen by a specialist and given scans to assess the damage. According to Peter Bruckner, a leading sports injury specialist,

Warne will be out at least six weeks so he will not play in the remaining two Ashes Tests. He could be out for eight to 12 weeks which means he will not play in the World Cup. Warne had a major operation on that shoulder before the last series against England four years ago.

He was bowling his eighth over when he dived to stop a drive. Within seconds he was rolling around, obviously in great pain.

After a season in which England made all the injury headlines it was the greatest irony that Australia's star should be so badly hurt and it was noticeable that after he left the field his team's performance dropped dramatically.

Warne's hope was that he would take those nine wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the fourth Test which begins on Boxing Day.

Before that shocking injury Australia had things all their own way in the second one-day tri-series match and they won by 89 runs.

Their batsmen made 318 for six, the biggest total against England in its 36-year one-day history.

Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist put on 225 for the second wicket, a record for any wicket against all-comers.

England lost its first five wickets for 92 in 18 overs and were saved from an even bigger defeat by yet another accomplished innings from the adventurous left-hander Nick Knight who added 70 to his undefeated 111 in the first match at Sydney on Friday.

On a batsman's pitch, against ill-organised bowling, Ponting and Gilchrist were superb.

They came together when Matthew Hayden was caught low in the gully in the third over and were not parted until the 38th over at 240. Ponting drove with relish, including a six into the building site that will transform this stadium in the next three years.

Gilchrist played his usual selection of shoulder high drives on either side of the wicket, saluted by a passing train each time he hit one of his four sixes.

He batted only 104 balls for his 124 in about two and-a-half hours--regulation for a Test fifty--before he played on to the latest England recruit, the 20-year-old Lancashire fast bowler James Anderson, who began with a wide and finished with 46 runs off six overs. Little surprise there. He was playing in only his fourth one-day match.

There were times when Ponting and Gilchrist looked bored as any professional might against inadequate opposition.

Ponting was slightly more laboured over his 119 off 123 balls possibly because he had the unusual experience of facing a maiden from Craig White, the 15th of the innings, an over which any batsmen must seek to attack.

White celebrated with both arms in the air like a man who has won Wimbledon.

If England had a champagne moment, this was it; although they also kept Australia to 78 off the last 12 overs, an achievement against such dedicated attackers.

Knight batted fluently for two hours, going down the pitch to play cross-batted shots and pulling Brett Lee through mid-on, a gross insult to any bowler who boasts as much pace as Australia's shock trooper.

After 68 balls, all played with impressive care, he was undone by Shane Watson's slower ball; without him England would be in even greater distress.

When Warne was carried off the field, Ian Blackwell and Craig White, no longer under pressure from those subtle variations, added 72 for the seventh wicket and helped England finish with 229.

Blackwell hit two sixes in 43 off 54 balls and White had a second cause for celebration when he made an undefeated 54.

No doubt about it, for all their boasts about having such a well-balanced attack, the absence of Warne makes Australia infinitely less fearful.

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