The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Australia will be hard to beat

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Australia will be hard to beat

Australia intimidate opposition in big games, writes
Steve Waugh

Australia will head into the semifinal of the ICC World Twenty20 without their captain, but the brevity of the format ensures that teams do not really miss players. The Australians easily overcame Sri Lanka in their last group game even though they were without Ponting, and India went past South Africa even though they were without Yuvraj Singh, man of the match the preceding evening.

Australia continues to intimidate the opposition in big games, which is why Sri Lanka have been unsuccessful whenever they have met in a big game. Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden have looked ominous in the last few matches, and whenever they succeed, their team looks very hard to beat. India will hope to make a couple of early breakthroughs because the rest of the Australian batsmen have hardly had any time in the middle.

Opening battle

The semifinal might just be decided by how well the Australian openers play India’s new ball bowlers. Another plus for Australia has been the good form of their pace bowlers. Stuart Clark was outstanding against Sri Lanka, and it’s incredible to see how well he has lifted his game in the last couple of seasons. Earlier, he was considered a very good state bowler who lacked the temperament to do well at the top level. Today, he is a stickler for the basics who untiringly asks questions of the batsmen. Along with Brett Lee, he has provided the Australian attack with the pace, aggression and discipline needed in this form of the game.

While India will be pleased at their performance so far, they would know that it is very hard to beat the Australians in a big tournament. I have heard many teams declaring on the eve of a significant occasion that they are ready and equipped to beat the world champions. Therefore, I would like to reserve judgment about whether this spirited, young Indian side will be able to put it across the Australians. It’s good that this young side has very few players bearing the psychological scars of earlier defeats against Australia. They should not think of the outcome and just enjoy the challenge of playing in a semifinal.

Unburdened

M.S. Dhoni’s men have handled pressure well in the last two games, and the team looks unburdened by the expectations Indian fans usually put on their team. In the absence of their seniors, the youngsters are building a young team and expressing their talent in a free, uninhibited manner. Whenever the senior players play for India, their supporters expect them to win every game. The level of expectations is much lower in their absence, which is allowing the players to play with a sense of freedom.

Yuvraj Singh was really superb against England, and it’s important that he uses this record as a catalyst that will push his game to a higher level. When Yuvraj made his debut against us in Kenya in 2000, he looked like an exceptional talent. He has not quite lived up to that early promise, particularly in Tests. He must not get carried away by his six sixes. Instead, he should knuckle down and become a more consistent contributor to the team.

Gameplan

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