Mumbai, Nov. 5: Every minute counts in life, more so when there is a first-ever title to be won, and on a wet cricket field as one learnt during the Champions Trophy final between Australia and West Indies at the Brabourne Stadium here.

After a passing thundershower had drenched the ground, Ricky Ponting’s men, eager to finish the game on Sunday night itself, got on to the square and got involved in the mopping up operation.

After Gayle came the storm. The Aussies deflated a whirlwind start by West Indies courtesy Chris Gayle to peg the Caribbeans to 138. In reply, they had made a comfortable 45/2 in 10 overs when they were hit by a storm, literally. Unseasonal rains robbed 135 minutes of play, setting the Australian hearts to beat faster with each minute.

The main playing square was adequately covered up but when rain finally stopped, it left quite a few puddles on the polythene sheets. The groundstaff, supervised by the roly-poly ICC pitch consultant Andy Atkinson, was quick to swing into action and a super sopper pressed into service to drain out the water off the square.

The tense Australians, led by skipper Ponting, joined the workers in clearing water from the area. Andrew Symonds, Michael Clarke, Brad Hogg, Brett Lee and Adam Gilchrist were seen squeezing water from soaked flannels into buckets. They even handled the covers and were almost willing to drag them all the way to the boundary much to the delight of the crowd who cheered the heroes doing odd jobs.

Finally, there was relief as the covers came off and the batsmen knocked off the runs required after the weather-induced break had reduced the game by as many as 15 overs.