History. Statistics. Numbers. Precedent. Knowledge of conditions. Home advantage. They all stack up favourably in Australia's corner. But no one is taking MS Dhoni's men lightly.
India's astonishing transformation from groggy tourists turning up at grounds only because they had to during the tri-series in January, to this rabble-rousing bunch of robust individuals that has tornadoed the field, has been the story of the World Cup thus far, alongside New Zealand's glorious march to the title round. India have been clinical, professional, meticulous, impeccably prepared, delivering their lines sharply but with emotion and joy and a sense of freedom that has at once been popular and punishing. You have to prise the World Cup out of their grip, they are not giving it back.
Australia are convinced they have what it takes to snatch it away, but around the conviction, gremlins are slowly beginning to germinate. Michael Clarke's men haven't been the dominant, all-conquering unit that Australians in World Cups have come to be identified as for so long now. They have won plenty, but they have laboured and huffed and puffed, surviving several attacks of nerves and benefitting from slices of luck at the most opportune of moments. They have been conquered, they have been cornered, they have taken blows on their chin, and yet here they are, standing within two wins of their fifth World Cup title.
The gremlins stem from their very personal sense of being let down by the nature of the pitch during Thursday's (March 26) second semifinal of the World Cup. There has been no public outrage, no overt condemnation, but within the camp, the mood is guarded and wary. That's a rarity for an Australian side; Australia have historically insulated themselves from extraneous factors. Perhaps, the feeling of being hard done by is because they are playing at home, and therefore justifiably expected a helping hand. A surface with genuine pace that Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson will relish, with bounce that Josh Hazlewood will thrive on, with grass that will have India seeing red. Instead of a bare, brown strip with loads of runs, if not necessarily square turn, written all over it.
No matter. By Thursday, Australia will have laid those gremlins to rest. They have to, because otherwise, India, this brave bold ambitious unafraid fearless India, will punish them. Ruthlessly. Mercilessly. Without compunction. If Australia are at anything less than their best, India will gnaw away at the soft underbellies of indecision and self-doubt, exploiting them with the ease of a practised master that Dhoni has elevated his ODI outfit to.
Australia are apprehensive about how much purchase R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will extract from the SCG strip, bald as an eagle and soaking in a pleasantly harsh Wednesday sun. They are a little worried about their relative lack of top-drawer spinning resources. Xavier Doherty, their only specialist spinner, has played just one game all tournament - coincidentally, at the SCG against Sri Lanka when spinners of all ilk travelled the distance. They aren't too thrilled at the prospect of Dhoni winning the toss and India putting up 300 like they have done every time they have batted first in this competition, which will then allow Ashwin and Jadeja to attack in the second half with the cushion of runs on a two-paced deck.
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