India vs Australia today in Quarter Final: Ponting’s form holds the key

Will the Motera pitch have been doctored to blunt Australia’s pacemen and suit India’s slow bowlers? Who will MS Dhoni choose between Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina? Will Sachin Tendulkar score his hundredth hundred in this match? Can Ricky Ponting rediscover his form in the nick of time?

Of these four most-asked queries on the eve of the quarter-final between India and Australia at the Motera, I reckon the answer to the last could have the most bearing on the match. The Australians have not fared too badly in the tournament yet, but the fragility of their captain – in the middle and outside it – has made the team vulnerable nonetheless.


Ponting has run into all kinds of problems during this World Cup. His footwork has looked sluggish and awry – except when he is throwing a tantrum on the field – and his poor form has become a drag on the entire team: if not in terms of runs, psychologically certainly.

This will not have been lost on MS Dhoni and I expect some drama involving Ponting in the game tomorrow. Recent history between the Indian team and the Australian captain has been turbulent to say the least, and I would be very surprised if no attempt is made to needle Ponting into indiscretion.

The Australians have been past masters at what is euphemistically called ‘mental disintegration’ of the opponent — except now the shoe appears to be on the other foot. Within limits, such tactics are fair dinkum. Any team looks to exploit weaknesses in the opposition, and currently Ponting appears to be the soft spot of his team.

In fact, Ponting’s slump in form and fortune began with the contentious series in 2007-08 played Down Under, memories of which should inspire and energise the Indian players. Since then, India have enjoyed the better of the contests between the two teams in both Tests and limited overs cricket. The trend, therefore, indicates that India hold the upper hand in this match.

But it would be foolish in the extreme to believe that the Australians have no fight left in them and can be tossed aside easily. The gap between the top three ODI teams is narrow — and it is pertinent to remember that Australia still occupy the No. 1 position. Despite losing the Ashes, Australia struck back with a vengeance to win the one-day series by a whopping 6-1 margin when even their most ardent fans were beginning to give up on them.

In this tournament, they’ve got four wins out of six games (the match against Sri Lanka was rained off), which makes it 10 wins out of 13. Not a bad record for a team on the wane! With the World Cup offering scope for redemption — to the captain and the team — it hardly needs telling that Australia would be going full throttle at Dhoni and Co.

How well-prepared is India to quell the Aussie challenge? In batting and bowling, I think India have revealed more class if not depth.

Australia’s batting — especially because of Ponting’s meagre contributions — has looked wobbly despite Shane Watson, Michael Clarke, Cameron White, Michael Hussey and Steven Smith, and the bowling one-dimensional with neither Jason Krejza nor Smith reaping the rewards that other spinners in the tournament have.

The sheer pace of Tait and Johnson — if ill-directed — could be fodder for the likes of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. Brett Lee’s been magnificent, but he’ll need major support.

True, India’s batsmen have thrice muffed things up during the batting Powerplay, but hopefully some lessons have been learnt. Barring that, Tendulkar, Sewhag, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh have been in such splendid nick that India have looked consistently good for 330-340 runs.

The much-maligned bowling has looked capable enough to defend such totals. The success of R Ashwin in the previous match has also given Dhoni his best possible bowling combination. In fielding, however, India remain below par. India may hold the advantage, yet the margin for error is wafer thin. How they exloit this margin will tell us whether Ponting has got a lifeline or been sunk.