Former Australia national cricket team all-rounder Tom Moody has recalled the Australians’ 1999 ODI World Cup victory ahead of the 2024 Hundred final, where the Oval Invincibles, under his coaching, would look to lift the title.
Oval Invincibles performed brilliantly throughout the competition and managed to secure a place in the final. The showpiece clash will be played on August 18 at Lord’s Cricket Ground and Oval Invincibles will take on Southern Brave and Birmingham Phoenix, who will battle it out in the knockout round.
As the Invincibles keep a close eye on the triumph at Lord’s, their head coach Tom Moody recalled the victory in the 1999 ODI World Cup final, which also came at the same venue. It was on June 20, 1999, when the Pakistan National Cricket Team and the Australian National Cricket Team met in the final.
The Australians were the favourites to win the title at that tournament, but they performed poorly in the first half and lost to teams like New Zealand and Pakistan. However, they bounced back strongly and secured a place in the final of the competition.
In the final, they lost the toss and were invited to bowl first. And a spectacular performance from the bowling unit led by Shane Warne saw them bowl out Pakistan for 132 in 39 overs. Shane Warne bagged a haul of 4 wickets while Glenn McGrath and Tom Moody picked up two wickets each. Additionally, Paul Reiffel and Damien Fleming picked up one wicket each.
In pursuit of the target, Adam Gilchrist played an aggressive style of cricket and blasted a quickfire 54 to take Pakistan out of the game. The other batsmen also did a good job and completed the run chase in 20.1 overs to seal an 8-wicket win and clinch the trophy.
Ricky Ponting was the master of the song, and he delivered it on my shoulders, right in the middle – Tom Moody
Tom Moody, the unsung hero of Australia’s 1999 World Cup victory, spoke about the triumph during a recent interview. He said that the Australians were faced with a do-or-die situation and from there on, they played special cricket to win the trophy. He also revealed that they had a prolonged celebration in the dressing room after the victory.
“We came in as favourites but we played poorly in the first half of the tournament,” he said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “Basically, we had to win seven matches in a row to be champions.”
“Being part of that journey for those seven games was very special. We had a long period of time in the dressing room to enjoy the experience of the trip and the occasion. All kinds of people came through, from family to famous cricket fans, but we were in our own bubble.”
Tom Moody also recalled how after the match, the Australian team gathered on the field to sing their traditional song Beneath the Southern Cross and cheekily said that Ricky Ponting, who was the maestro of the song, sang it on his shoulders because he still has lower back problems.
“Traditionally, in the Australian team we would always sing that team song after a Test match or winning a one-day series. Ricky Ponting was the master of the song and he would sing it on my shoulders, right in the middle. My lower back is still recovering.”
