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Australia crush World XI

By Julian Linden
Last updated on: October 17, 2005 11:47 IST
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Stuart MacGill and Shane Warne spun Australia to a 210-run victory over a disappointing World XI on Monday, finishing their controversial super series Test with two and half days to spare.

The star-studded World XI, thrashed 3-0 in last week's one-day series in Melbourne, again failed to live up to their lofty reputations and past records and collapsed to be dismissed for just 144 chasing a daunting 355.

MacGill mopped up the tail, capturing the last three wickets in five balls, to finish with figures of five for 43 to go with his 4-29 from the first innings.

Warne triggered the collapse when he claimed the vital wickets of Brian Lara and Rahul Dravid in the first hour of play then added Mark Boucher's scalp as the highly-anticipated match came to a premature halt after lunch on the fourth day of the scheduled six.

South African all rounder Jacques Kallis top scored for the World XI with an unbeaten 39 while five of his teammates made ducks on a Sydney Cricket Ground pitch that was starting to turn at alarming angles.

Warne dismissed Dravid and Lara in successive overs in the first hour after tormenting the pair with a master class in wrist spin bowling.

He removed Dravid for 23 in his second over of the day, finding the edge of the new Indian captain's bat to present man of the match Matthew Hayden with a low but straightforward catch at slip.

Warne then added the prize scalp of Lara in his next over, beating the West Indian twice outside off stump before catching an inside edge off his final delivery which wicketkeeper and player of the series Adam Gilchrist gathered after juggling at his first attempt.

UNLUCKY INZAMAM

Inzamam-ul-Haq, a late inclusion in the squad after the withdrawal of Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar, was unluckily given out lbw for a second ball duck to express paceman Brett Lee as the tourists lost three wickets in 20 balls before lunch.

The Pakistan captain was already out of form and made just one in the first innings, but seemed hard done by, when South African umpire Rudi Koertzen decided not to refer the matter to the video official, as television replays later showed the ball would have missed leg stump.

The World XI limped to lunch on 113-5 after starting the day on 25-2 then surrendered after the interval, losing their last five wickets after the break for the addition of just 31 runs.

MacGill grabbed Englishman Andrew Flintoff's (15) wicket for the second time in the match, adding fuel to his claims that he was wrongly overlooked for the Ashes Tests, before Warne collected his third scalp when he got Mark Boucher for 17.

MacGill then polished off the innings in the 50th over when he dismissed Daniel Vettori and Steve Harmison in successive deliveries, then Muttiah Muralitharan three balls later.

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Julian Linden
Source: REUTERS
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