Australia have had a smooth drive to the finals with hardly ever having to even apply the brakes. India on the other hand have had one major road-block in the Australians, to whom they lost quite badly in an earlier round. It is now an opportunity for India to exact revenge and with it also emboss their name on the World Cup. The Wanderers may not be as intimidating as the Eden Gardens or Melbourne Cricket Ground, but it is what the locals call the “Bull Ring” because of the way the stands go upward. Still to the Indians, used to playing at the Eden Gardens and the Aussies to battling it out at the MCG, it will be the occasion that will either give the shivers or the adrenaline to give their best. Make no mistake, it’s going to be more than a battle of skills. It will be a test of temperament that will decide who gets their hands on the coveted cup.
Australia have got there by virtue of fine all-round cricket. Their bowlers have dismissed the cream of the opposition batsmen in virtually all the games, and in the odd game where the opposition has not been all out, the Aussies have got eight wickets, which indicates the strength of their bowling. Then, they have chased targets and have also got them with most of their recognized batsmen back in the pavilion. Their fielding has been superb throughout and they look like a well-oiled machine.
India on the other hand have not dismissed all the opposition batsmen till the second Super Six game, but after that the bowlers have done splendidly to dismiss strong sides like New Zealand and Sri Lanka for low totals. The batting has come good with just about every batsman getting a big score when it mattered. It’s the fielding that is not as sharp as that of the Australians, for though it’s a relatively young side, the athleticism is not as the Aussies or the New Zealanders possess.
The general feeling is that it’s going to be the Australian pace attack against the Indian batting and while that may well be true if India bat first, India have to ensure that if the Aussies bat first, they are not allowed to get away to a start and post an imposing total. India must look to get Harbhajan on quickly as the Sri Lankans did with Aravinda, and especially to Ponting who is not as comfortable against quality spin as he is against pace. Australia bat deep and in recent times have kept playing shots even though they are losing wickets to keep the run-rate high and pressurize the opposition. It’s worked for them most times, but the last few games have shown a vulnerability to their batting and it’s taken the spirited Bichel to get them out of the hole the earlier batsmen had dug the side into.
Martyn is an important player for the champions, for he has helped them recover after the early loss of wickets, so if he is not playing, it will be a big plus for India. Harvey, who will replace him, is like Bichel a tough cricketer, but without the flair that Martyn has. He will be a canny bowler though who mixes his deliveries well.
If India bat first, they must avoid the mistake made in their previous encounter against the champions when they had lost half the side even before 20 overs were bowled. Unless they are chasing a big total, they should look to bat the old-fashioned way and try and keep wickets in hand for the final overs. They also have to make the most of the 20 overs of spin that they will get from Hogg, Lehmann and Symonds. The strategy has to keep changing according to the situation and the batting order must be flexible, so that someone like Yuvraj who is in good form and who can hit the ball a fair distance, is sent up to take advantage of the Aussie spinners.
Australia start off as the favorites, but so did the West Indies in 1983. Then, not many gave India semblance of a chance. Today though, there are many who believe that India can topple the champions from their perch. Certainly the South Africans who have been drubbed by the Aussies in all sports are backing India, so there will be no shortage of support for India at the ground too. It may well be an exaggeration to say that one billion people will be praying for India. If the prayers work, then it’s going to be a party to remember.
