India can never let you down when they are challenged by the Australians on flat tracks or on a pitch that supports spin bowlers. But now it’s emerging that this team under MS Dhoni is also not scared of pace and bounce. After spending more than four months in Australia, the team is very much used to all conditions.
The psyche of the team is such that if the Sydney wicket is prepared to suit the Aussies ways, it’s going to be counter-productive for them. That is because India are extremely proud of their pace attack and strongly believe that even their spin bowlers are equally equipped.
From the time they touched down on Australian shore, the fear of losing was never a problem. Even though, India lost all their matches in the Australian series, they knew when to excel. And they showed it during the league matches that losing can hurt you, but it can’t squash your hope.
With a spotless performance so far in the tournament, not everyone is sure who eventually win the semifinal clash, but those who played against Australia in the tournament, are rating India higher. The Pakistani captain Misbah-ul-Haq is one such observer who has already kept India ahead of Australia. The Bangladeshi captain Mashrafe Mortaza too shares the same sentiments that beating India will be tough for any team.
Even former West Indies great Brian Lara didn’t hesitate to declare that India have the edge over Australia. So what if India have a dismal records at the Sydney Cricket Ground against the Aussies? What happened in the past certainly leaves an imprint on your mind, but that doesn’t necessarily reflect the future.
So, Indian team is not bothered about what was there in the past. There is a tremendous self-belief to overcome crunch situations. In their last match against Pakistan when the Aussies started their chase, it was expected to be a cake-walk. But they lost three quick wickets and were under pressure.
There was a time when the Pakistani bowlers created a very crucial chance to crawl back into the match but a missed opportunity cost them the match. Pakistani pace bowler Wahab Riaz showed how the Australian can be challenged on their own backyard, if you fast and accurate.
The Aussies have already started playing the mind-game, but it won’t help them much. This Indian team is secured and they know what it takes to win big games. This semi-final match will test the Aussies more than the Indian team.
If they think that they are going to play against the same side which had beaten in the tri-series, they will have to think again. This is territory belongs to Indian team. The majority of the Australian team members who are new this level of competition. They really have to play out of their skin to beat India on Thursday!
