Summary India will face Australia in the second semi-final of the World Cup today (Thursday).
SYDNEY (Agencies) - India will face the co-hosts Australia on their home ground at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in the second semifinal of World Cup 2015 today (Thursday).
India have their eye on a third trophy and a defense of the title they won on home soil in 2011, while Australia are aiming to land the World Cup for a fifth time.
Australia are four-time world champions, more than anyone else, while India are the defending champions and have not lost a game so far in the tournament. While India have bowled their opposition out in all the seven previous games, Australia s bowling line-up of Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson, Josh Hazlewood, James Faulkner and all-rounder Shane Watson is likely to hold an upper-hand in familiar conditions.
If media reports are true, the SCG will be a sea of blue re-emphasising the fact that cricket is not a simple game promoted by a single race. As Peter Roebuck once put it, "it is not merely a battle ground between black and white or communism or capitalism. It is a true battle between faith and progress."
Whether it will be a battle of faith and progress, we will come to know. But one thing is for sure -- there won t be dearth of passion, aggression and verbal volleys (call it sledging if you like). With the likes of Johnson, David Warner and Starc in the ranks, the Indian team will do well to prepare for some taste of Aussie lingo apart from the chin music.
India draw its inspiration from the huge following and passion the game evokes amongst its fans. In a country with many religions, cricket is one binding faith.
India are likely to field the same team that beat Bangladesh. The team has done remarkably well to script a turnaround in their fortunes after defeats in the Test tour and then the tri-series. As Virat Kohli put it in one of the press conferences ahead of the game, "the difference now is how our bowling attack has come into play in the World Cup, taking 70 wickets in seven games."
With Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma doing well so far, the pace-attack, for a change, looks settled. They will also do well to learn from the exploits of Pakistan s Wahab Riaz. Riaz s spell against Australia will give the Indian team s think-tank some pointers to work on. However, it will be the spin of Ravichandran Ashwin that might hold the key to India s chances considering the spin-responsive 22-yard strip of the SCG.
The Indian batsmen have also come to the party. Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina have centuries under their belt while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has marshalled his resources well.
And beyond the glare of Kohlis and Sharmas, Ajinkya Rahane has established himself as the fulcrum around which the Indian batting revolves. The SCG will be an ideal opportunity for the Mumbai-youngster.
Australian cricket have been strong for over 125 years barring few patches where they dipped a bit. Cricket is officially their national sport, reaching their countryside, homes of farmers, young and old, rich and poor. It is the binding force and when the stage is for a World Cup semifinal it becomes even bigger.
Australia have the likes of Glenn Maxwell, David Warner, Aaron Finch and in-form Steven Smith and Michael Clarke in their ranks. However, their biggest concern at the moment would be the form of their openers Warner and Finch. For India, Maxwell will be the biggest concern as the batsman has hit himself into form. India would know what the batsman is capable of.
The hosts are also expected to name an unchanged side that beat Pakistan in the quarterfinal. Victory would set them for a trans-Tasman final in Melbourne on Sunday.
