Another battle of nerves is in the offing when the defending champions India take on Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday. Whether the match will go down to the wire or not is subject to how things unfold on the field, but it promises to keep the viewers and spectators on the edge of their seats. This match is going to test India big time.
New Zealand’s win over South Africa in the first semi-final will also encourage India to believe that they can also make it to the final. That is because both India and New Zealand were the toppers in the league stages.
The biggest strength for India is that the self-belief of this team under MS Dhoni is in all-time high. They might have faced with a spot of bother in two of the league matches against the West Indies and Zimbabwe, but it was this self-belief which put them across the rope. During the 2003 and 2007 World Cup, the Australian team had similar state of mind. Those days, the Aussies, under then Ricky Ponting, used to win matches from losing positions. They practically ruled world cricket with sheer domination.
However, India despite being the defending champions, they couldn’t stamp their authority like the way Australia did. They won the Champions Trophy in the middle and kept a decent success rate in the shorter version of the game. The team regularly won matches at home and kept a steady performance aboard. But all throughout, there wasn’t any moment when India team was ruled out from the list of favorites.
There were instances before the World Cup when questions were raised if the defending champions could take the physical and mental load of such a big tournament after a hectic the Australian series. But the team kept its focus intact and won all their seven matches of the World Cup so far. This team has come to such a stage that you can’t really measure the heart of a champion.
To be a champion again, India are looking at the big picture. It’s not about winning and losing; it’s about every day hard work and about thriving on a challenge. It’s about embracing the pain that you’ll experience at the end of a race and not being afraid. The good thing is that India are not thinking too hard and not afraid to face any challenges.
The Aussies are quite aware of what India can possible do. So, they are not taking MS Dhoni and his men lightly. Like India, they want to fight through anything. But India have embraced a policy that the real champions are the ones who defend their title successfully. Winning it once can be a fluke; winning it twice proves you are the best. And India is thriving to be in that league. Can the Aussies stop India’s juggernaut?
With the kind reputation the SCG pitch carries, India and Australia are at the same level. Just because the Australia team is playing at home doesn’t mean that Michael Clarke and his men will walk away with the match. There will be sound, roar and storm, but India are ready to set them down in notes!
