-->
-->
Matthew Hayden scored 181* and the team stacked 346 - Lee and McGrath absent and the youth unable to defend the total. A quick fire ton from McMillan and an unbeaten half-century stand McCullum, hammered the final nail to the Aussie coffin.
New Zealand beats Australia yet again and sweeps the three match series, post a brilliant summer of Test cricket this Aussie dire state in the ODI's is just unfathomable.
This instigates me to think it's time for the resting deputy skipper Adam Gilchrist to reaffirm his statement, wherein he discarded the Australia's Trans-Tasman tour superfluous preferring freshening up at home a better exercise before the World Cup.
The Australians have been replaced by the Proteas at the pinnacle of the ICC's ODI rankings, they are struggling with injury woes, to top it, the standing captain Mike Hussy has the responsibility too early, and the burden can be seen as he fails considerably to lead the defending World Champions.
For those who are calling on the Australians to be their favorites for the quadrennial extravaganza this sure is an alert - the injuries have spelled doom for the kangaroo's who have no answer to the awesome Kiwi performance. 'On the field only the fittest survive and triumph' - this saying has been well elucidated by the Black Caps in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.
All the top performers in the recent past have been down and few out owing to fitness - Andrew Symonds and Brett Lee both could miss the World Cup with shoulder and foot injuries respectively, while skipper Ricky Ponting is harassed by his back spasm and the appointed vice captain for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy Michael Clarke returned home without a game struggling to keep out the hip injury. Adam Gilchrist is resting and isn't the part of the squad for the initial games at the world cup. To the list is added another name of Matthew Hayden who increasing the anguish, he was hit on his right foot by a yorker and has broken a bone in his toe.
The teams are set to leave for the Caribbean, at this juncture, the Aussies have lost out on the supremacy, and no longer remain the favorites to defend the title - the World Cup is wide open and the team that can adapt to the conditions there will stand the best chance.
Read: BBC
Related Stories
Australia: Heading For a Finish
It is always difficult to make a comeback. If anything, it is a rare victory celebrated if that were to happen. The interesting part of this game is that it is still tough to predict. After the mayhem that saw five wickets go...
Dean Jones' Defence: Warne is God in Australia like Sachin Tendulkar is God in India
Dean Jones does not believe he did the Rajasthan Cricket Association any disservice through his comments. Instead he refers to Shane Warne in the same breath as Sachin Tendulkar and why he feels Warne needs respect. Even as Shane Warne is facing...
Ashes T1 day 3 Stumps: Australia rule the Way, then Rain Reigns
Rain made sure that much of the action after tea was washed out but Australia were in the ascendancy when play was finally called off on the third day of the first Test of the Ashes at the Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Michael Clarke and...
Cricket Australia Goes SA, England Way for 40 Over Match, with Changes
More changes are in order as Australia contemplates going the way of South Africa and England in changing their domestic tournament from fifty over matches to forty over matches, but with a twist. Cricket Australia believes that their...
Virat Kohli And Co. Enjoy Bike Ride before Formula One Racing ( See Pics)
Is it not known that the Indian cricketers can also love demons of speed? Even as some of the Indian cricket team will fly to Noida for the first Formula One Indian Grand Prix, they did enjoy bike rides, although not on the circuit, with the keys firmly w
