Australia have cruised to a convincing 77 run victory over India in the opening game of the Super Six phase at the Oval. After Mohammed Azharuddin had won the toss and invited them to bat, the Australians posted a mammoth 282-6, with Mark Waugh providing the backbone of their effort with an elegant 83. Glenn McGrath then ripped the heart out of the Indian top order, picking up three wickets in his opening spell including the vital scalp of Sachin Tendulkar in his very first over and despite a brave 75 from Robin Singh and a century from Ajay Jadeja, the Indians were never really able to threaten the Australian total.

With pale sunshine bathing the ground, Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist strode out to open the innings for Australia.. Javagal Srinath opened proceedings from the Pavilion end but it was Debashish Mohanty who found early swing and both Aussie batsmen were cautious initially, with the Indian fans displaying their usual fervent support from the stands.

With occasional sunshine breaking through the cloud, Venkatesh Prasad replaced Mohanty in the eighth over, but it was the impressive Srinath who again came closest to achieving the breakthrough, inducing a false stroke from Mark Waugh which was just missed by a despairing dive at gully. With another huge but unsuccessful shout for lbw against Gilchrist, the Indian bowlers provided a testing opening spell, but the Australians survived to fight on, relying on some quick running to keep their score ticking over.

Gilchrist took a painful blow at the end of the eleventh over but soon recovered and as both batsman started to settle, they began to play some more aggressive strokes. The Australian fifty coming up in the thirteenth over as Waugh elegantly worked the returning Mohanty around the corner and in spite of some early alarms, the Australians had achieved a solid start, with Waugh in particular starting to find his touch and the boundary. Anil Kumble was in action as early as the sixteenth over and with medium pacer Saurav Ganguly operating from the other end, the pair attempted to apply the brakes. But Waugh immediately lofted Ganguly over mid-off for the first six of the day in what appeared to be a conscious declaration of intent.

Mark Waugh continued on his way toward an irresistible fifty which was made from 55 balls and included 4 fours and one six. With the Australian hundred fast approaching, India at last made a breakthrough, when Gilchrist came down the wicket and attempted to loft Ganguly over mid off, but only succeeded in getting under the ball and skying an easy catch to Mohanty. Incoming batsman Ricky Ponting signalled his intentions by smiting Ganguly for a huge six with his first scoring shot and even the usually parsimonious Kumble began to suffer as the Australians started to accelerate and after a difficult start they were well placed at the half way stage on 124-1, with Mark Waugh unbeaten on 67.

With the run rate fast accelerating, Australia posted their hundred and fifty in the twenty ninth over with Waugh in imperious form and Ponting dancing down the track at every opportunity. With their fans willing the breakthrough, Azhar turned to India's touchstone Sachin Tendulkar for his gentle off breaks, but it was Singh who removed danger man Mark Waugh as he attempted to flick him for a maximum, but instead offered an easy catch to Prasad at fine leg. Just one over later Singh struck again, bowling Ponting off an inside edge for 23 and at last the huge Indian contingent had something to cheer.

With two new batsmen at the crease in Darren Lehmann and skipper Steve Waugh, the Indians had a chance to exert some pressure of their own and every half chance brought fresh applause from their revitalised fans. Steve Waugh and Robin Singh collided in a photo finish for the stumps, but Lehmann and Waugh continued to push singles and accumulate runs at a steady rate. After an expensive start, Singh found good movement, but the batsmen were scoring at nearly a run a ball with the Indians continued to be plagued by some rather indifferent fielding. As the innings entered its final ten overs, the Australians were nicely poised for the onslaught at 204-3.

With the innings hurtling towards its climax, Steve Waugh chipped Mohanty high into the ether and into the waiting arms of Anil Kumble to depart for 36 from 40 balls. But that only brought Australia's finest finisher Michael Bevan to the middle and in partnership with Lehmann, he started to take the Indian bowlers to task, stroking boundaries and running like lightning between the wickets. A loud shout for lbw caused confusion between the batsman and Lehmann set off, but was left marooned as Ajay Jadeja made no mistake, hitting the stumps with a direct throw. Srinath again generated good pace at the death, but Bevan continued to score freely, thumping Kumble back over his head for a resounding six. Bevan's luck eventually ran out in the penultimate over as he top edged Prasad into the gloves of keeper Nayan Mongia, but his brisk 22 had given the Aussies a late boost at the finale and with 78 coming off the last ten overs, they were well pleased to post what looked like a truly competitive total.

Facing a challenging total, the Indians needed a decent start and as soon as the first over, the contest between Glenn McGrath and Sachin Tendulkar began. But it was McGrath who struck immediately, removing Tendulkar who provided a regulation edge which Gilchrist safely pouched. Indian hopes had been severely dented and their fans were ominously quiet as the little master departed to a derisive shout of "Don't use all the hot water Sachin." from a lone Aussie wit. McGrath attempted to shake up Ganguly with a bouncer that went for four no balls but Sachin's removal had given the Australians a significant early psychological advantage. Indian hopes were dealt a further blow when McGrath managed to repeat the dose and remove Rahul Dravid in exactly the same fashion. Ganguly perished catching an inside edge onto the stumps off Fleming in the fourth over and at 12-3, the Indians were reeling, with their hopes lying in the hands of skipper Mohammed Azharuddin and vice captain Ajay Jadeja.

Continuing his magnificent opening burst, McGrath got one to climb on Azharuddin which looped up off the glove to be safely caught by Steve Waugh running in at point.. With the Australian fans in the minority making all the noise and McGrath and Fleming in full flight, the Indian run rate crawled along as Jadeja and Robin Singh tried to consolidate after their disastrous start. Paul Reiffel replaced Fleming from the Vauxhall end, but there was no respite from the ever hostile McGrath who continued to bowl with extreme prejudice.

Jadeja and Singh managed to arrest the rush of early wickets with some solid batting, pinching singles and constantly rotating the strike. Moody replaced McGrath and induced a bottom edge from Singh which just bounced short of the keeper, but it wasn't until shortly after the first drinks break in the seventeenth over, that India managed to post their fifty, when Singh stole a quick single off Moody's bowling. Even the occasional boundary was still capable of sending the Indian fans into raptures, but facing a run rate in excess of seven, they needed an extraordinary innings to turn the game back in their favour.

With rain threatening, Australia turned to Mark Waugh's off spin to hurry through the twenty fifth over to meet the match requirements necessary for a result. Massed Indian drums and chants greeted the game's half way stage, but with a run rate climbing above eight an over, Singh and Jadeja appeared to be facing a forlorn task. Shane Warne's introduction was met with applause and jeers in equal measure, but it wasn't until the thirty first over when Jadeja stole a single off Warne that the Indians managed to post their hundred.

With 173 runs required off the final eighteen, Singh at last seemed to sense the need for some urgency clubbing Warne for a huge six over midwicket. With both batsmen curiously poised on 49 a piece, Jadeja was the first to his fifty, glancing Warne backward of square and Singh's half century came just one over later, with the pair's century partnership representing a brave if seemingly futile attempt which restored much Indian pride, if not their match position. And yet facing a required run rate of eleven an over, Singh smote Warne for two huge sixes in the same over and with Jadeja joining the party with another six, the pair took 21 off the thirty sixth over to raise the hundred and fifty and the ecstatic Indian fans began to sense possible salvation. But in the very next over, Singh walked across his stumps and attempted to hook Moody for another maximum, but was caught by Reiffel in the deep and his entertaining flurry came to an end for a defiant 75.

With India needing over a hundred as the game entered the final ten, Nayan Mongia attempted to give Jadeja the strike at every opportunity and with Mexican waves completing several circuits of the ground, the Indian fans seemed to believe anything was possible. Paul Reiffel managed to knock a pigeon clean out of the sky with a throw from third man, but a sensational throw from Bevan at deep cover beat Mongia to the crease as the Australians emphasised the deadly accuracy of their fielding. Exercising his captain's prerogative, Steve Waugh brought himself on to bowl and strangled Srinath out down the leg side, and also picked up Kumble who edged to the keeper. With three a ball required and just two wickets in hand, the final overs had a certain air of inevitability and Australia duly went through the motions. But there was just time for Fleming to trap Prasad lbw and for Jadeja to bag another pigeon for the pot and post his century, before Mohanty was run out with the score on 205.

Ind 205 all out, 48.2 overs.