On a day when the Indian challenge virtually went to pieces, about the only bright spot was the combative batting of Ajay Jadeja and Robin Singh. The duo lifted the team from the pits of 17 for four in the seventh over with a 141-run partnership before the Australians once again rallied to sew up the match.

The teams came into the match, facing a must-win situation. But while a totally focused Australian team went from strength to strength, the Indians, barring a few exceptions, failed to fire. The loss of this key match could virtually mean the end of India's World Cup campaign, though mathematically they can still sneak into the semi-finals, provided they win the next two encounters, against Pakistan and New Zealand. The Jadeja-Robin combine might have helped them stay in the contest with a decent net run rate. But to qualifyfor the next round from here would be a Herculean task.

India's Black Friday began on an ominous note. Light drizzle and a partly overcast sky so clouded Mohammed Azharuddin's judgement that he literally gifted the match to the Australians by opting to field first.

From then on the Indians were stuck on disaster creek without oars. As if to mock Azharuddin's decision, the skies cleared and the sun shone brightly. Gratefully, on the flat pitch that did not have even a blade of grass to encourage the Indian fast bowlers, the Aussie openers, Adam Gilchrist and Mark Waugh came into their own. Debasis Mohanty was spraying the ball and helping their cause while Javagal Srinath, although quick (his fastest delivery was 93 miles per hour, five miles quicker than Glenn McGrath's 88 on the FedEx speed gun), was only restrictive.

Waugh played brilliantly to lay the foundation for the Aussies. Initially he was troubled by Srinath. But once he got his eye in, he was superb. He flicked through mid-wicket at will toconfound the bowlers. For good measure he stepped out and played drives on the rise through the cover region as if to ridicule Azharuddin's decision to bowl first. Still, India bowled well in the middle overs as Robin picked up a couple of wickets and Venkatesh Prasad, Anil Kumble and Srinath kept the scoring rate in check.

But just when India seemed to have recovered after that excellent Aussie top order binge, the gigantic Tom Moody and Michael Bevan rewrote the script with a thundering finish. From 243 for five at the start of the 48th over, they carted Prasad and Kumble all over the ground to add a smashing 39 runs in just 18 balls. Prasad conceded 25 runs in his last two overs and Kumble 14.

If that assault did not break the back of the Indian resistance, then certainly the opening burst by McGrath did. The lean paceman, bowling in that corridor of uncertainty just outside the off stump, struck two death blows in his first two overs to spell finis to the Indian challenge. Sachin Tendulkar, who openedthe batting after a lot of debate, hung his bat out to be snaffled behind the stumps in the first over. In the next McGrath over, Rahul Dravid too fished to be caught in the slips.

Saurav Ganguly played on to Damien Fleming and a little later, Azharuddin, who ducked out of coming in at No 4, nevertheless had to take on McGrath. He fell to a familiar failing when the ball bounced more than waist level. The resultant edge was taken at gully.

India, 17 for four in 6.2 overs were virtually finished. However, Jadeja and Robin batted with tremendous grit to bring respectability to the total. In the process they also made the run quotient and net run rate a little more respectable than it would have been after the top order caved in.

They had the minor satisfaction of smashing Shane Warne for a total of four sixes (including 21 runs in his sixth over). But the battle was always Australia's.

Robin was dismissed in the 38th over for 75 when he pulled Moody down the throat of Reiffel at fine leg. Robin made 75(94 balls, 5 fours, 3 sixes). Jadeja made his unbeaten 100 in the penultimate over (138 balls, 7 fours, 2 sixes) before the last wicket fell. The dismissal was so symbolic of India's performance today. Mohanty and Jadeja both ran towards each other before utter confusion took over and they turned and ran to their own end. Mohanty was easily run out to leave the Aussie winners by 77 runs and richer by two points.

SCOREBOARD

India won the toss and put Australia in to bat first

AUSTRALIA

ME Waugh c Prasad b Singh 83
AC Gilchrist c Mohanty b Ganguly 31
RT Ponting b Singh 23
DS Lehmann run out (Jadeja) 26
SR Waugh c Kumble b Mohanty 36
MG Bevan c Mongia b Prasad 22
TM Moody not out 26
SK Warne not out 0
Extras (lb 14, w 10, nb 11) 35
Total (6 wickets, 50 overs) 282
DNB: PR Reiffel, DW Fleming, GD McGrath.
FoW: 1-97 (Gilchrist, 20.1 ov), 2-157 (ME Waugh, 30.1 ov), 3-158 (Ponting, 30.4 ov), 4-218 (SR Waugh, 41.5 ov), 5-231 (Lehmann,43.6 ov), 6-275 (Bevan, 49.3 ov).
Bowling: Srinath 10-2-34-0 (2nb, 4w); Mohanty 7-0-47-1 (1nb, 1w), Prasad 10-0-60-1 (1nb, 1w), Kumble 10-0-49-0, Ganguly 5-0-31-1 (1nb, 1w), Singh 7-0-43-2 (2nb, 3w), Tendulkar 1-0-4-0.

INDIA

SC Ganguly b Fleming 8
SR Tendulkar c Gilchrist b McGrath 0
R Dravid c Gilchrist b McGrath 2
A Jadeja not out 100
M Azharuddin c SR Waugh b McGrath 3
R Singh c Reiffel b Moody 75
NR Mongia run out (Bevan) 2
J Srinath c Gilchrist b SR Waugh 0
A Kumble c Gilchrist b SR Waugh 3
BKV Prasad lbw b Fleming 2
DS Mohanty run out (Warne/Gilchrist) 0
Extras (lb3, w4, nb3) 10
Total (all out, 48.2 overs) 205
FoW: 1-1 (Tendulkar, 0.6 ov), 2-10 (Dravid, 2.5 ov), 3-12 (Ganguly, 3.4 ov), 4-17 (Azharuddin, 6.2 ov), 5-158 (Singh, 37.3 ov), 6-181 (Mongia, 42.2 ov), 7-186 (Srinath, 42.6 ov), 8-192 (Kumble, 44.4 ov), 9-204 (Prasad, 47.4 ov), 10-205 (Mohanty, 48.2 ov).
Bowling: McGrath 10-1-34-3 (2nb, 1w), Fleming 9-1-33-2 (1w),Reiffel 10-1-30-0, Moody 10-0-41-1 (1w), ME Waugh 1-0-7-0, Warne 6.2-0-49-0 (1w), SR Waugh 2-0-8-2.