Over the last fortnight, nails were chewed and throats turned hoarse as the Chinnaswamy Stadium embraced a gamut of emotions. The earlier three World Cup matches here had gifted the fans varied results like a tie, an Irish upsurge and a turgid Indian victory.
Seen in that context, the latest Sunday continued that trend of lower-placed teams finding inner reserves of strength and though Kenya lost the Group A match against Australia, the African nation punched above its weight much like what Ireland did to India in a failed pursuit.
Eventually protocol was respected and Australia marched ahead despite the Kenyan resistance having an Indian touch thanks to Tanmay Mishra's 72 (89b, 8x4, 1x6) while the ebullience of Collins Obuya (98 n.o., 129b, 9x4, 3x6) added another dimension to the game's final phase.
The defending champion scored 324 for six and restricted Kenya to 264 for six to secure a 60-run victory.
After four successive losses and chasing a daunting target, the Kenyan top-order revved in a hurry and paid the price. Morris Ouma flashed hard at Brett Lee, Alex Obanda hoisted Shaun Tait twice and suffered the speedster's ire and David Obuya ran without purpose.
Scoring with panache
At 46 for three, Mishra walked in while his parents and younger brother, pursuing medicine at Manipal, cheered with excessive optimism from the corporate box. Mishra lived up to his family's hope and scored with panache but the larger goal of delivering a Kenyan victory remained elusive.
Mishra lofted Steve Smith, essayed an inside-out drive against Michael Clarke and had all the time in the world to guide Jason Krejza past a scampering short fine-leg.
Along with Collins Obuya, Mishra shared a 115-run fourth-wicket partnership but once he failed to beat Michael Clarke's throw, Kenya was down for the count while Obuya's towering sixes off Shane Watson proved to be the last volleys of defiance.
In the afternoon, Ricky Ponting opted to bat and all the Australian batsmen had their starts while Cameron White was distinctly unlucky to get an unplayable ball from an ecstatic Kenyan skipper James Kamande.
Among the willow wielders, the two Michaels — Clarke and Hussey — caught the eye while their diverse back-stories featured nostalgia and the ‘urge to belong.'
Clarke (93, 80b, 7x4, 1x6) was back at a place made special with memories. He scored a Test hundred on debut here and a 130 in an ODI though two other Tests yielded middling runs.
His partner Hussey (54, 43b, 4x4), in a script that screamed ‘all's well that ends well', had made a remarkable recovery from a hamstring strain and found a toe-in after an injured Doug Bollinger returned home.
Combining well
The two combined well in a 114-run fifth-wicket partnership that helped Australia tide past a mini-wobble after Brad Haddin (65, 79b, 9x4, 1x6), Ponting and White fell within a span of 14 deliveries for the mere addition of 16 runs and the score read 143 for four in 27 overs.
Clarke used his feet and nibbled the runs off the Kenyan spinners, driving and flicking with fluidity. Hussey's return to top-flight cricket was made easy as the first ball he faced turned out to be a full toss from leg-spinner Collins Obuya.
The ball was despatched and being the eager-beaver that he is, Hussey soon buckled down though the sweep and the rapier-pull were also displayed.
Tame attack
Hussey fell in the batting Power Play but Clarke continued unhindered against a tame attack. The Australian vice-captain toyed with Elijah Otieno, swatting the seamer twice past mid-wicket and a hundred seemed imminent until he tried to scatter Nehemiah Odhiambo and perished.
Prior to Clarke and Hussey's stints, the top-order had its share of success. Shane Watson biffed a few. Haddin gained a measure of the pitch that tended to be a bit slow before picking his runs square off the wicket.
Ponting was hardly tested till he moved across and tried to whip Collins Obuya and the referral found him plumb in front. White then got a ripper as Kamande's off-break pitched wide outside and spun in viciously.
Scoreboard
Australia:
S. Watson c Ouma b Odhiambo 21 (17b, 3x4, 1x6),
B. Haddin c Rakep Patel b Kamande 65 (79b, 9x4, 1x6),
R. Ponting lbw b C. Obuya 36 (54b, 5x4),
M. Clarke c Patel b Odhiambo 93 (80b, 7x4, 1x6),
C. White b Kamande 2 (6b),
M. Hussey c David Obuya b Odhiambo 54 (43b, 4x4),
S. Smith (not out) 17 (15b, 2x4),
M. Johnson (not out) 12 (7b, 2x4),
Extras (b-2, lb-5, nb-1, w-16): 24;
(for six wkts. in 50 overs): 324.
Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-127, 3-131, 4-143, 5-257, 6-304.
Kenya bowling: Odoyo 10-0-50-0,
Otieno 8-0-75-0,
Odhiambo 10-1-57-3,
Ngoche 8-0-56-0,
Kamande 10-0-46-2,
Obuya 4-0-33-1.
Kenya: M. Ouma c Haddin b Lee 4 (13b),
A. Obanda b Tait 14 (10b, 2x6),
C. Obuya (not out) 98 (129b, 9x4, 3x6),
D. Obuya (run out) 12 (16b, 2x4),
T. Mishra (run out) 72 (89b, 8x4, 1x6),
T. Odoyo b Tait 35 (38b, 4x4, 1x6),
R. Patel (run out) 6,
J. Kamande (not out) 0 (0b),
Extras (b-2, lb-6, w-12, nb-3): 23;
Total (for six wkts. in 50 overs): 264.
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-21, 3-46, 4-161, 5-247, 6-263.
Australia bowling:
Lee 8-1-26-1,
Tait 8-0-49-2,
Johnson 8-1-40-0,
Smith 6-0-36-0,
Krejza 8-0-36-0,
Clarke 5-0-21-0,
Watson 7-0-48-0.