Indians bowled over by McGrath

Strike bowler Glenn McGrath won his personal battle with Sachin Tendulkar yesterday as Australia relaunched their World Cup campaign with a 77-run Super Six victory over India at The Oval. India now face an almost impossible battle to reach the semi-finals.

McGrath removed India's top batsman for a duck with the sixth ball of the innings and also dismissed Rahul Dravid and skipper Mohammad Azharuddin in a hostile opening burst of three for 20.

India, chasing Australia's 282 for six, saw their innings collapse as they tumbled to 17 for four. Their top order, by far the most prolific in the tournament during the first round, simply disintegrated.

Ajay Jadeja, however, struck an unbeaten 100, while big-hitting Robin Singh made 75 to restore some respectability as India were dismissed for 205 with 10 balls to go. They were the only two Indian batsmen to make double figures.

Azharuddin said: "There's no excuse. We batted badly and bowled badly. McGrath, in this form, was absolutely superb.

"It's not the first time that Sachin has got out for zero, but he is not the only one in the side."

McGrath added: "I enjoyed getting Tendulkar out - more even than taking Lara's wicket in the last game."

Neither side had taken any points into the second phase of the tournament and victory was essential. McGrath, absent with injury when Tendulkar scored a century in each of his last three innings against Australia, finished with three for 34 off 10 overs. He beat Tendulkar outside the offstump before having him caught behind with an outswinger.

McGrath, who returned to form with five for 14 in the previous match against the West Indies, then removed Dravid - the tournament's leading scorer with 369 runs before yesterday - in identical fashion, wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist taking the second of his four catches.

Damien Fleming chipped in with Saurav Ganguly's wicket, forcing him to play on, and Mohammed Azharuddin then fenced at a McGrath lifter to edge a catch to point. When he fell the game was as good as over after just 38 deliveries of the second innings. Jadeja and Singh arrested the collapse with a fifth-wicket partnership of 141. Struggling leg spinner Shane Warne, nursing a shoulder complaint, was canned by the pair, his 6.2 overs going for 49 runs. He was hit for three sixes and 21 runs off one over.

Australia's innings was built around a high-class 83 from Mark Waugh. He and Gilchrist put on 97 in 20 overs for the first wicket after Azharuddin elected to field in overcast conditions. All the rest of the Australian top order contributed, with captain Steve Waugh reaching 6,000 one-day runs on his way to 36 off 40 balls. He later also took two wickets.

Australia now play Zimbabwe on June 9th and South Africa on June 13th, while India play Pakistan on June 8th and New Zealand on June 12th.