Tony Becca

I HAVE always believed that although they are not right now the best in the world, this West Indies team, at their best and on their day, can beat any team in the world, including the best - and on Wednesday they demonstrated that they can with a thrilling victory over Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy in Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium.

Going into the match after they were bundled out for 80 by Sri Lanka in the final match of the qualifying round, the West Indies, the defending champions, won the toss, decided to bat first so as not to bat under the floodlights and in the dew, thanks to Runako Morton and captain Brian Lara who steadied the ship with a solid and entertaining fifth-wicket stand of 137, they squeezed out 234 runs for the loss of six wickets on a slow, difficult pitch and then, despite, a solid fifth-wicket partnership of 101 between Adam Gilchrist and Michael Clarke, stormed to victory in style when they restricted the Aussies to 224 for nine.

Breakthrough

At one stage, the Aussies, on 182 for four in the 42nd over and needing 53 to win off 51 deliveries with Gilchrist and Clarke still at the wicket, looked all over the winners before the West Indies, pressuring all the way and blessed with a little luck, made the breakthrough and dashed to victory.

But for Morton, 90 not out, and Lara, 71, the West Indies batsmen again disappointed, and apart from going into the match with only two specialist bowlers, it was disappointing to see Dwayne Smith batting at number three with Marlon Samuels at number eight and Dwayne Bravo not batting at all. In every other aspect of the game, however, the West Indies were as good as if not better than Australia.

Dropped anchor

After a good start with the ball - a start which saw Australia struggling at 81 for four, the West Indies appeared out of it as Gilchrist and Clarke dropped anchor and appeared set to see Australia home.

The West Indies, however, to their everlasting credit, did not, this time around, drop their hands and looked to sky as if seeking divine intervention on their behalf.

This time, the West Indies, who seemed to believe in themselves - to back themselves to win this one, stuck to their task of trying to win the game, they fielded brilliantly, and with part-time off-spinners Chris Gayle and Samuels dropping the ball on a spot, they plugged away until something happened - until they made something happen.

Gilchrist run out

With the odds in favour of Australia, Gilchrist was run out at 182 for five - probably because of the pressure, acting captain Ramnaresh Sarwan handed the ball to medium pacer Bravo, he removed Clarke, caught and bowled at 206 for six in the 47th over, with a well-disguised slower delivery, Sarwan called on Jerome Taylor and the pacer, bowling fast and straight, knocked Australia dizzy with a hat-trick by removing Michael Hussey and Brett Lee with the fifth and sixth deliveries of the 48th over, and Brad Hogg with the first delivery of the 50th.

Far from over

The tournament is far from over, there are still two more matches in the group to be played - against India and England - before the semi-finals and the final, and such is one-day cricket, such has been the performance of the West Indies team that any number can play.

If they play as well as they played on Wednesday, however, if they give it their best shot by fighting from the beginning to the end, and if, in an effort to keep things tight, really tight throughout the opposition's innings, they play one more bowler in the team, I believe that the West Indies, who, especially as far as one-day cricket and their batting is concerned, are as good as any team in the world on their day, can also knock off India and England and waltz into the semi-finals as the kings of Group A.