I suppose it would not be too much to expect Australia to start today’s game against Bangladesh as the overwhelming favorite. Ponting and his team have struck form at just the right time. The big guns are firing, with Matthew Hayden leading the way. He could not have delivered a better response to his detractors, who had claimed before the tournament that he was past his best. His batting at the top of the order has been stunning to say the least. Brad Hogg is another player who has impressed. Like Hayden, his place in the squad was in doubt, with some people making out a case for Cameron White. But Hogg has silenced the doubters with some excellent bowling.
These players apart, the usual suspects — Ponting, Gilchrist, Clarke and McGrath — are in good nick. Shaun Tait has proved his capabilities as a strike bowler. There are several match-winners in the side, and an Australian fan would be very, very comfortable. I get the feeling they need to beat only two more sides to confirm a semifinal berth. But they will certainly like to keep the ball rolling against the Bangladeshis. There will be a temptation on their part to send Mike Hussey up the order. He was in great form before the World Cup, but has looked a bit off-color during the competition. His cause has not been helped by the fact that he hasn’t been able to spend a lot of time in the middle, what with all the batsmen preceding him in the batting order being in splendid form. It will be a good idea to promote him to No. 3 or No. 4 to enable him to get a feel of the conditions and get his feet moving.
But it won’t be smooth sailing for the Aussies. The Bangladeshi team has improved tremendously. They have some exciting young talent and have displayed signs of coming to terms with cricket at the highest level.
Their performance against India underscored their passion and commitment. They will have their task cut out against the defending champions, but the challenge won’t deter a character like Dav Whatmore. He will plan, plot and strategize, and ensure that his boys are in the right frame of mind to take on the heavyweights.
Teams have displayed a preference for bowling first in this competition, the objective being to exploit the early-morning moisture in the track. But the Australians have been quite comfortable with batting first. I know the Bangladeshis like to bowl first, but they should try to draw the Australians out of their comfort zone.
Habibul Bashar should look to bat first and call upon his batsmen to survive the initial period when the ball will wobble around. They will be well-placed if they take the team through that period.
But it ultimately boils down to a team’s assessment of its respective strengths and weaknesses. If a team does feel that it possesses the firepower to make the most of the helpful conditions, then it should opt to bowl first if it wins the toss. Bangladesh will know that the Australian batsmen will come hard at them, regardless of whether they bowl first or second. They will need to come up with something special to beat the cup-holders.
Even as the Australians and Bangladeshis prepare for their face-off, spirits will be low all over the Caribbean. The West Indian camp would be feeling the heat with two losses at the Super 8 stage. The one positive for Lara and his team is the two points they have carried into the second round. They now need to win at least three, if not all four, of their remaining games, to make it to the semis.
