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The Indians will ideally seek a slow, turning track to ambush Australia at Motera. How will the surface play in this massive quarterfinal?
The defending champion appears vulnerable but has the resilience to find a way through tough situations. Ricky Ponting and his men could be under immense stress on March 24 but the Aussies can lift their game during such times.
A slow turner could nullify Australia's fiery pace attack. But then, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson could still beat the batsmen with air-speed and swing. If the square is hard, the pace trio could get the ball to reverse.
Irrespective of the surface, there are clear indications from the Aussie camp that the Indian top and middle order will be tested by short lifting deliveries. As Yuvraj Singh said, the Australians could come hard at the Indians.
Different
This Indian line-up, though, is different from the ones that were blown away by lifting deliveries on rather juicy surfaces in successive Twenty20 World Championships in England and the West Indies.
This line-up has Sachin Tendulkar at the top of the order and he could prove a formidable barrier with the purity of his methods and temperament. The face-off between the maestro and the Australian pace pack could be compelling.
And someone like Virender Sehwag, if the bounce is not well directed, could harness it for more runs. He has this precious ability to disrupt the length of the bowlers.
It is crucial from an Indian perspective that Sehwag recovers in time from a swollen right knee. The presence of this marauding opener can lift the side psychologically in these death-or-glory clashes.
Impact players could make the difference in knockout duels. Game changers such as Sehwag and Yuvraj will be priceless. If the pacemen do not deliver, Australia could run into serious problems against the fleet-footed Indian batsmen. The Aussies have come into this competition with one of their weakest spin attacks.
Jason Krezja, the frontline spinner, has tended to provide width to the batsmen; the off-spinner lacks precision. And Steve Smith, the leg-spinning all-rounder, is still a work-in-progress.
In control
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was better with his management of overs against the West Indies at Chepauk. R. Ashwin opened the bowling and sent down eight successive overs stretching into two batches of Power Plays. And the Indian attack had a commodity it sorely missed in the earlier games at the start of the innings — CONTROL.
Ashwin possesses the discipline, variety and the strength of mind to handle extreme demands in the cauldron. He made a difference to the Indian attack on Sunday.
In fact, all of Ashwin's 10 overs were bowled in the Power Plays; the off-spinner sent down two overs in the batting Power Play to complete his quota.
It can be hard to sit in the sidelines and then bowl with confidence in overs where the field restrictions are in place. Ashwin was not found wanting.
The figures of three Pakistan spinners against Australia at Colombo will please their Indian counterparts. Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman (10-0-34-1), leg-spinner Shahid Afridi (9-0-34-1) and off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez (10-0-26-1) did tie the Aussie batsmen down. Rehman had opened the bowling.
This Australian team has a few big-hitters such as Shane Watson and Cameron White but lacks a batsman in the mould of Damien Martyn who could slice open spin bowlers in the sub-continent with soft hands and clever use of the depth of the crease.
Martyn was eminently successful in India. It is here that Australia would want its skipper Ricky Ponting to find form. Light on his feet, the great batsman can take on spinners, be a dominant force.
But then, the presence of Ponting could stoke the combative instincts of Harbhajan Singh. The duel should be exhilarating.
The defending champion appears vulnerable but has the resilience to find a way through tough situations. Ricky Ponting and his men could be under immense stress on March 24 but the Aussies can lift their game during such times.
A slow turner could nullify Australia's fiery pace attack. But then, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson could still beat the batsmen with air-speed and swing. If the square is hard, the pace trio could get the ball to reverse.
Irrespective of the surface, there are clear indications from the Aussie camp that the Indian top and middle order will be tested by short lifting deliveries. As Yuvraj Singh said, the Australians could come hard at the Indians.
Different
This Indian line-up, though, is different from the ones that were blown away by lifting deliveries on rather juicy surfaces in successive Twenty20 World Championships in England and the West Indies.
This line-up has Sachin Tendulkar at the top of the order and he could prove a formidable barrier with the purity of his methods and temperament. The face-off between the maestro and the Australian pace pack could be compelling.
And someone like Virender Sehwag, if the bounce is not well directed, could harness it for more runs. He has this precious ability to disrupt the length of the bowlers.
It is crucial from an Indian perspective that Sehwag recovers in time from a swollen right knee. The presence of this marauding opener can lift the side psychologically in these death-or-glory clashes.
Impact players could make the difference in knockout duels. Game changers such as Sehwag and Yuvraj will be priceless. If the pacemen do not deliver, Australia could run into serious problems against the fleet-footed Indian batsmen. The Aussies have come into this competition with one of their weakest spin attacks.
Jason Krezja, the frontline spinner, has tended to provide width to the batsmen; the off-spinner lacks precision. And Steve Smith, the leg-spinning all-rounder, is still a work-in-progress.
In control
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was better with his management of overs against the West Indies at Chepauk. R. Ashwin opened the bowling and sent down eight successive overs stretching into two batches of Power Plays. And the Indian attack had a commodity it sorely missed in the earlier games at the start of the innings — CONTROL.
Ashwin possesses the discipline, variety and the strength of mind to handle extreme demands in the cauldron. He made a difference to the Indian attack on Sunday.
In fact, all of Ashwin's 10 overs were bowled in the Power Plays; the off-spinner sent down two overs in the batting Power Play to complete his quota.
It can be hard to sit in the sidelines and then bowl with confidence in overs where the field restrictions are in place. Ashwin was not found wanting.
The figures of three Pakistan spinners against Australia at Colombo will please their Indian counterparts. Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman (10-0-34-1), leg-spinner Shahid Afridi (9-0-34-1) and off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez (10-0-26-1) did tie the Aussie batsmen down. Rehman had opened the bowling.
This Australian team has a few big-hitters such as Shane Watson and Cameron White but lacks a batsman in the mould of Damien Martyn who could slice open spin bowlers in the sub-continent with soft hands and clever use of the depth of the crease.
Martyn was eminently successful in India. It is here that Australia would want its skipper Ricky Ponting to find form. Light on his feet, the great batsman can take on spinners, be a dominant force.
But then, the presence of Ponting could stoke the combative instincts of Harbhajan Singh. The duel should be exhilarating.