<Bz61>Bermuda feel India backlash after Malachi's dream start
Bermuda felt the full force of an expected backlash at the Queen’s Park Oval yesterday, an agitated and under-pressure India side silencing their critics with the biggest victory in World Cup history.
Having slumped to a surprise defeat to neighbours Bangladesh in the their tournament opener on Saturday, it was always likely that Bermuda would become the victims of an immediate and emphatic retort.
But what a price they were made to pay! In a devastating exhibition of power batting, India’s heavyweight hitters smashed the highest-ever World Cup total — 413 in 50 overs. The previous top score had been Sri Lanka’s 398 for five against Kenya in Kandy in 1996.
And while Gus Logie’s men managed a respectable reply of 157, led by a majestic unbeaten 76 from David Hemp, it still represented the most lopsided defeat since this competition began in 1975.
The highest margin of victory before yesterday’s result was 256 when Australia (301) crushed Namibia (45) in Potchefstroom, South Africa in 2003. India bettered that by one yesterday — winning by 257 runs.
Yet it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the red, white and blue Bermy Army who sang, danced and cheered in two different camps on opposite sides of the ground.
While Hemp was undoubtedly the Bermuda hero, the day belonged to and will always be remembered for the spectacular World Cup debut of 17-year-old Malachi Jones.
Believed to be the third youngest player ever to take part in a World Cup, the Berkeley student immediately etched his name into the record books as he sensationally dismissed Indian opener Robin Uthappa with his very first delivery.
Dwayne Leverock stooped low to his right to hold a catch in the slips and as Jones set off on a celebratory run around the pitch, arms outstretched, the team’s travelling fans erupted with joy.
Officials reckoned it to be the first time a teenager had taken a World Cup wicket with the first delivery of their first appearance — although that couldn’t be confirmed last night.
For Bermuda, it will be a moment long remembered.
Hemp’s heroics apart, however, the rest of the day is best forgotten, particularly by Bermuda’s bowlers whose figures at the end of the Indian onslaught resembled something more likely to be found on a lottery ticket.
The normally reliable and economical Leverock was blasted for 96 runs in his ten overs, Jones, after his dream start, went for 74 off seven overs and Janeiro Tucker gave away 67 off nine.
None of the bowlers were spared as, after Jones’ early breakthrough, Sourav Ganguly (89) and Virender Sehwag (114) combined for a boundary-laden stand of 202 in 178 balls.
It got even worse for Bermuda later in the innings as Yuvraj Singh (83) and the mercurial Sachin Tendulkar (56 not out) helped themselves to a 122-run partnership in just 63 balls.
All told the Indian innings contained 48 boundaries — 18 sixes and 30 fours.
After Jones had got rid of Uthappa for three with the total the same, India’s large following must have wondered whether Saturday’s nightmare was about to repeat itself.
They needn’t have worried. Ganguly and Sehwag didn’t take long to restore order, the latter helping himself to his first One-Day International century in two years.
After 10 overs, the pair had already put more than 60 on the board and as the innings progressed the run rate continued to soar.
By the time the second wicket fell in the 30th over, the total had rocketed to 205. After completing his ton in the 27th over, Sehwag lofted Hurdle high over mid-off where Jones held a fine catch above his head. His 114 had included three sixes and 17 fours and had come off just 87 balls.
Wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni and Ganguly (89) continued to fire away until the latter fell just 11 short of his century, superbly stumped by Dean Minors as he danced down the pitch and was completely deceived by a Delyone Borden delivery.
At 238 for three, India had already done more than enough to ensure there was no chance of another upset but their blazing bats got even hotter. Over the last 15 overs, they plundered another 175 runs.
Dhoni was dismissed for 29, Tucker taking a magnificent catch at deep mid-on to give Borden his second wicket and reduce India to 269 for four.
But inexplicably Borden was taken off after five overs, having picked up two for 30 — by far the most respectable figures of any Bermuda bowler — and was never given another chance.
Instead the likes of Lionel Cann, Leverock and Tucker were made to suffer as Singh and Tendulkar embarked on their brutal fifth-wicket stand of 122 which, in just 63 balls, produced ten sixes and five fours.
Singh was given a TV replay reprieve after Minors appeared to have stumped him off Cann — although the replay suggested he was out.
By the time he perished for 83, having clubbed three fours and seven sixes — caught by Jones off Leverock — the total was up to 396.
Tendulkar and skipper Rahul Dravid, who hit one six in the three balls he faced, quickly accelerated that total over 400, adding 17 off the final over bowled by Hemp.
The final tally of 413 was the largest in World Cup history and the fifth largest of all ODIs. Sri Lanka hold the ODI record after clobbering the Dutch for 443 for nine in 50 overs in Holland last year.
Bermuda’s reply, as light drizzle fell across the Oval, was predictably tentative. Their hopes of an upset had long disappeared and once again it became a case of damage control.
With veteran Clay Smith having been dropped in favour of Stephen Outerbridge, it was left to the University of Wales student and another youngster, OJ Pitcher, to try and build some kind of foundation.
But against the firepower of Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar, neither looked comfortable.
Pitcher (0) was undone on the last ball of the first over, his stumps shattered by a Zaheer delivery which nipped back sharply and after facing 16 balls and hitting one four in a score of nine, Outerbridge went the same way, beaten for pace with the total on only 18.
That was to signal the introduction of Hemp who would go on to accumulate almost half of Bermuda’s runs in by far the best one-day innings he’s scored for his country. While wickets tumbled around him, Hemp survived 105 balls, hammering nine fours and a six as he continually frustrated an Indian attack very much aware that run rate could ultimately decide whether they advance to the Super Eight.
After entering the fray three balls into the seventh over, the Glamorgan skipper carried his bat right up until last man Jones departed on the first ball of the 44th over.
Inbetween he shared a valuable sixth wicket partnership of 43 with Minors (21) and with Leverock (9) set a Bermuda ODI ninth-wicket record stand worth 44. The previous best of 27 was compiled by Kevin Hurdle and Ryan Steede against Kenya last November.
He was also going well with Borden (13) for the third wicket until the St. David’s Islander was adjudged lbw to a Munaf Patel delivery which replays showed would have missed the stumps by some margin.
However, Borden’s replacement, skipper Irving Romaine, could have no complaints about his lbw decision as he became one of five Bermuda bats to be dismissed for a duck. Beaten by the quickish spin of Anil Kumble, it was the captain’s second successive duck.
Kumble then bowled Janeiro Tucker through the gap before he could get off the mark and at 63 for five another total under 100 looked to be on the cards. But Minors, dropping down the order from opener to number seven, finally provided the support that Hemp required and between them they added 43.
Matching his partner run for run, Minors looked to be in full flow until he caught a leading edge from Ajit Agarkar and offered a simple catch to sub fielder Dinesh Karthik at mid-off.
Two balls later in the same over, Cann (0) swiped at Agarkar and was held by Uthappa although it took another TV replay to confirm the ball had carried.
From 106 for five it was quickly 110 for eight, Hurdle (0) folllowing Minors and Cann back to the pavilion as he was beaten all ends up by Agarkar’s pace.
Leverock took over the anchor role and played it superbly, snatching a succession of quick singles to help keep Hemp on strike and just when it looked like Bermuda might avoid that dubious record of highest margin of defeat, he was caught behind by Dhoni off Tendulkar’s only over.
Jones couldn’t make his day any more memorable with the bat, falling lbw to Kumble for one and leaving Hemp stranded at the other end as the innings closed on the first ball of the 44th over.
India’s bowling figures were as impressive as Bermuda’s were horrendous.
Zaheer Khan claimed two for 32 off 10, Agarkar three for 38 off 10, Patel one for 20 off eight, Kumble three for 38 off 9.1 and Tendulkar one for one off one.
