27 September,2009 07:16 AM IST | | AFP
Ponting hails Mitchell's batting effort, but unhappy over bowling Aussie Mitchell Johnson acknowledges the cheers on reaching his fifty against West Indies on Saturday. PIC/AFP
Mitchell Johnson hit 73 as title holders Australia flourished in the closing overs to launch their ICC Champions Trophy campaign with a 50-run win over the West Indies on Saturday.
But the anticipated stroll for the world champions never materialised because the outsiders shrugged off the absence of their best players owing to a contract dispute and improved markedly on a midweek drubbing from Pakistan.
The defending champions were sent in to bat at the Wanderers Stadium and finished their 50 overs on 275-8 before restricting the West Indies to 225-9 off 46.5 overs with injured Dale Richards unable to bat.
"I thought we did really well to make our score with exceptional batting from Mitchell, but we did not bowl to our best ability with too many extras conceded," admitted Australia skipper Ricky Ponting.
West Indies captain Floyd Reifer also hailed Johnson, whose main purpose in the team is as a fast bowler: "He played a magnificent innings. After reaching 124-2 we needed to carry on with one of the batsmen scoring 80, 90 or even 100, but we are learning quickly."
Australia began disastrously in a rematch of the 2006 Mumbai final they won by eight wickets with Shane Watson bowled off the first ball by a late swinging yorker from Kemar Roach on his return in place of Tino Best.
Enter Ponting to steady the innings with 79 runs off 94 balls, including nine fours and a six, before missing a well-flighted delivery from Nikita Miller and Chadwick Walton sent the bails flying. A middle-order slump saw the defending champions surrender three wickets cheaply before Johnson demonstrated that his skills extend beyond the ball on a hot, clear day in the South African financial capital.
He survived a scare to amass his unbeaten 73 off 66 balls in an innings that included eight fours and three sixes and fellow bowler Brett Lee (25) proved a solid partner before being run out.
Miller, top scorer with 51 in the five-wicket defeat by Pakistan at the same venue three days ago, was the most successful Windies bowler, taking two wickets for the loss of 24 runs with the 10-over stint including a maiden.
Expectations were high for Gavin Tonge after his four-wicket haul against the Pakistanis, but he finished without a wicket and conceded 55 runs.
