Mumbai, Nov. 5: Australia skipper Ricky Ponting fulfilled a long-stated ambition when his team swept to a commanding eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the final of the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy at the Brabourne Stadium here on Sunday night.

Asked to first chase 139 in the full 50 overs after the Caribbeans subsided to a meagre 138 in 30.4 overs, Australia had reached 45/2 in 10 overs at the lunch interval when a sudden thunderstorm held up play for 2 hours and 15 minutes.

The revised target — of 116 in 35 overs — meant the Aussies needed 71 from 25 overs, which opener Shane Watson (57, 88b, 4 fours) and Damien Martyn (47, 71b, 6 fours) knocked off without fuss or ado. It was man of the match Watson’s fifth one-day international half-century.

There was some excitement before the break when Ian Bradshaw removed Adam Gilchrist and Jerome Taylor sent back Ponting with just 13 on the board, but Watson and Martyn quashed whatever faint hopes the Windies may have harboured with a composed 103-run third wicket partnership, Australia reaching the needed 116 in 28.1 overs.

Man of the tournament Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul set the stadium alight with some mighty hitting after Lara had won the toss, but the loss of Gayle was a blow the Caribbeans just could not shrug off. And as time ticked away, it was clear Lara had thrown in the towel, with defensive fields against such a tiny target, leaving the batsmen enough time and opportunity to ensure that the one major trophy missing from Australia’s collection would not get away this time.

Lara had a surprise in store when he opened the bowling with Gayle, but it was the left-arm seam of Bradshaw that gave his side a glimmer of hope.

Gilchrist flashed at a ball that moved a shade and Gayle took the catch at first slip. Ponting then came and went for a rare duck, trapped leg before, but that was all the success the West Indian bowlers were destined to taste on the night.

Earlier, Bracken sent down what was probably the ball of the tournament to see off the rampaging Gayle and change the course of the match once and for all. Bowling unchanged for a six-over spell, he also removed Chanderpaul and Sarwan and the Windies never recovered from those three blows.

While Gayle was at the crease, there was a shimmering, almost magical air about his batting despite the brutality of his assault. Brett Lee was beaten out of the firing line in just three overs, going for 36 runs. Glenn McGrath was treated with rare contempt and only Bracken was able to hold his own.

An indication of just how important the opening combination of Chanderpaul and Gayle are to West Indian efforts comes from reflecting on the fact that once they were back in the hutch and 80 on the board, the rest could only scrape together another 58 runs, of which 14 were extras.

Gayle and Chanderpaul were quickly off the mark, though living dangerously at times. Bracken beat Gayle at least twice before he put bat to ball, but the powerful left-hander survived that little spell to soon break the shackles.

Break free he did, and how. Lee was smashed for 14 runs in an over and McGrath, who replaced him, was greeted with some thunderous shots.

The first check came when Chanderpaul (27) — who had just his-hit a top-edged six over the deep fine leg fence in addition to four sweetly-timed boundaries — misread a Bracken off-cutter and dragged the ball back onto his stumps.

Gayle, however, was not done yet. McGrath was first blasted over mid-on for a massive six, and attempted to retaliate. His bouncer in the next over was sent soaring with a hook over midwicket, and Gayle then hit him for two fours, to leave the rangy pacer standing hands on hips, wondering at what on earth he was doing wrong.

Bracken plugged away from his end and landed the one punch Windies skipper Brian Lara had dreaded. A perfectly pitched away-swinger had Gayle covering his stumps but for a tiny glimpse of the off-stump and the ball homed in on the woodwork.

A measure of the carnage unleashed by Gayle is evident in that he had just on single in his innings top-score of 37, the other 36 coming in the form of the two sixes and six fours. It was dream stuff, but once he was gone at 80, Sarwan preceding him by 15 runs, it was back to business as usual. Bracken had figures of 3/23, McGrath 2/24 and Watson 2/11 from among the six bowlers Ponting used.