This one is for the sceptics who feel this is where it will all end for India. Here is why it should not, may not and, perhaps will not. And if they really do falter despite the legendary everything on board, Australia should win as a better team.
MS Dhoni: He has the luck, the midas touch, the magic wand and, last but not least, the brains for the World Cup. He’s a big match winner, a tactician serenaded by cricketing greats across the globe and also a man possessed (it’s his last World Cup), well, in a cool kind of way. But that’s just the outside. Inside, he’s a simmering volcano of ambitions and strategies which has given Team India a winning direction. If he wins the toss, he’s the man to bet on. Besides regrouping, reforming and positioning a war weary group of players with modest skills, MS Dhoni has done the bigger job of instilling in the squad a sense of belief which emanates from a sense of confidence which, in turn, emanates from mind-boggling performances which India have been giving now for 7 matches.
The Pace Trio: This is the biggest metamorphosis since the caterpillar turned into a butterfly. Who would’ve thought the unassuming Mohammed Shami would be up there alongside Mitchell Starc and who thought that Umesh Yadav would up his ante with 145 km/hr ball after ball after ballIJ And who, really, would’ve ever thought that Ishant Sharma’s replacement Mohit Sharma would turn out to be the slow bowl genius we’ve been seeing at play in this World CupIJ Remember, they asphyxiated the South Africans just the other day. They’ve no reason to not do the same at SCG, of course, well protected by a decent score their batters need to give them to defend a decent total.
The Batters: That’s how it goes: All the top three in Team India have scored centuries in this tournament; Shikhar Dhawan has returned to form and the imperious but stylish Rohit Sharma has just shown how he can use restraint as a veneer for late over explosion; Virat Kohli flowers in Aussie company much like Sachin Tendulkar; Raina is always there to take care of the back end and Dhoni is the best finisher of legendary chases. Only if they all collectively fail will the Aussies be on top. Till then, let’s just go by the ledger book of this competition.
Spinning Wheel: Spin is the Aussie Achilles heel. And sometimes pace too, as we saw in Adelaide against Pakistan. Ashwin is in top form with Jadeja peaking well. The ground beneath their feat is an obliging assistant to turn and the mode the Chennai lad is in, has all the potential to wreak havoc on Australia. He plays carom on the pitch to devastating impact for batters, he’s not afraid to flight the ball and is in constant attack mode, much like a quick. The Aussies were practising and putting bat to spin by legend of the game Shane Warne but come game day, the pressures are hugely different and, well, bat breaking.
Self-Belief: This is on a never before high, coming out from every pore of the team, be it bowling, batting or fielding. With 70 wickets in bag in seven matches, it is 100% strike rate to go into the semi-final with. It shows how the scars are gone, the belief is in currency and performance a corollary to this jewel of the Indian mind.
Fitness & Fielding: Nothing is more happening for a team than a no-injury, no-niggle situation. And India are in that happy scenario. Add to that the fact that Dhoni no longer has the time and strategy consuming job of hiding any of his fielders and there’s bound to be an Australian mistake for the Indians to pounce on — a run-out, a blinder catch, an on-trot throw to the wickets — the Indians possess the potential.
The SCG Pitch: Two days in a row, MS Dhoni rushed to the pitch alongside Ravi Shastri and some of the boys, to have animated discussion after having a close look at the 22 yards. Though the ICC has been pitching for flat batting wikcets, curator Tom Parker’s 22 yards have always carried the mystery to the match day even though spin assets could well be paving the way to the Final. As we know, SCG has never really been good with the Aussies and had India been given as choice to choose their semi-final venue, it would have been none other than the Sydney Cricket Ground and its reputation of being a slow turner. With Ashwin-Jadeja in the armoury and the accompanying spin vulnerability among the Aussies, there is what you could say a “sound chance” for it to click for India.
Stand Support: The great Indian fan has arrived in Sydney from all corners of the world and all corners of Australia which — on a modest estimate — adds up to some 30,000 of the 40,000 capacity. Can Australia withstand this pressure, this deafening sound against them in their backyardIJ Some say Australia will fire to shut up the stands but no one really is seeing how nervous Australia is about this match. And the crowd, which has become very intelligent and perceptive, will immediately cash in. Such support is key to away competitions not just for India but for all visiting teams.