KEY POINTS:
MUMBAI - Captain Ricky Ponting is happy to take the same squad to next year's World Cup after Australia claimed the Champions Trophy one-day cricket title for the first time with an eight-wicket victory over the West Indies yesterday.
Shane Watson scored 57 not out and took two for 11 with the ball to be named man-of-the-match as Australia chased down a rain-shortened target of 116 with 6.5 overs to spare.
Focus in the one-day game now switches to the World Cup in the Caribbean and Ponting feels his new-look team have the goods to extend Australia's winning streak in the event to three tournaments.
"Right at the moment, I'd be pretty happy taking this squad to a World Cup," Ponting said.
Watson emerged as a worthy opening partner for Adam Gilchrist during the tournament in India, replacing Simon Katich at the top of the order.
Left-arm paceman Nathan Bracken, who took three for 22, also took a step up as he claimed key wickets in the decider, including dangerman Chris Gayle, and he is the leading wicket-taker in one-day internationals in 2006 with 46 scalps at an average of 18.82 in 23 matches.
Veterans Damien Martyn and Glenn McGrath also excelled:
Martyn averaged 80.33 in the Champions Trophy, hitting 47 not out in a 103-run third-wicket stand with Watson in the final, while McGrath removed Brian Lara for just two yesterday and matched Bracken with 10 wickets for the tournament.
Australia became the first team to hold the World Cup and Champions Trophy titles at the same time. Their previous best effort in four Champions Trophy attempts was to bow out in the semifinals in 2002 and 2004.
Australia restricted the West Indies to just 138 after they won the toss and batted. While Watson won the man-of-the-match award, Ponting feels Bracken was the game-breaker in the final. The left-armer came to Australia's rescue after Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul put on 49 for the first wicket in 5.1 overs.
Bracken removed both and then No 3 batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, striking in the sixth, eighth and 10th overs, as the West Indies lost three wickets at the cost of 31 runs.
- AAP
