Australia take on Zimbabwe in their opening game of the 2011 ICC World Cup on February 21 in Ahmedabad and expect Ponting’s men to fire at full steam against a team they should beat relatively easily.
After a couple of losses in their pre-cup practice games against South Africa and India, Australia will want a confidence booster for their players, especially their lower-mid level who have failed to shoot.
With Haddin set to open with Watson, the top order is looking good, especially with skipper Ponting getting fit with fifty in practice games.
Watson is in ominous shape but, sadly for Oz, he doesn’t make his good form count, often enough. After a 161 in the opening match against England in the recent ODI series between the sides, he turned in a pair of fifty in the next five games. With his wicket-breaking ability as an additional closer, Watson could be a contender for Man of the Tournament.
Haddin brings more firepower to the top of the order, and Ponting would want his in-form goalkeeper to turn his starts into big shots.
Clarke has never really reached his potential as a hitter after a brilliant start to his career. He is not the quintessential ODI player, but with his technical solidity, Ponting’s substitute brings solidity to the middle order, an especially critical requirement, in the absence of Mike Hussey.
After his exploits in the IPL, everyone knows how dangerous David Hussey can be; he tends to get good starts in almost every game, but like Haddin and Watson, he never seems to take full advantage of his form.
White has been underperforming recently. He started 5 of the 6 games he played against England, but only had a top score of 45 to show for it. Incidentally, in Clarke’s absence, White captained Australia in the last ODI with England.
Steve Smith hasn’t been too impressive with the bat or ball, although he did pick up a few wickets against England. His continued inclusion in the team points to the extent of Australia’s decline in international cricket. Not too long ago, far more successful players were being cut from the squad, despite their performance, to make room for young talent.
Johnson is a puzzle; Here is a brilliant bowler who has failed more often than not when the team admired him to deliver. Add to that his hitting talent that justifies pushing him up the order, even to the starting spot, and you can only say, what a waste.
Lee is in ominous shape; his raw pace can unsettle the best of batsmen on the deadest of wickets. He never counts Australia out with his spearhead bowling showing signs of recapturing his pre-2007 wicket-taking ability.
Tait is another example of great wasted talent. What about today’s fast bowlers who don’t have the stomach to perform at the highest level ie Test matches? That said, Tait seems to have regained his confidence and his pace, at least, could prove decisive in a critical situation.
Bollinger must be listed as the most underrated bowler in the world. He has no rhythm, a quality you’d expect to see in a new Australian ball operator. But take a look at his economy rate and his wicket-taking ability, qualities that will come in handy on the friendly wickets of the subcontinent’s hitters.
In the end, it will all come down to how well Australia do in three games, starting with the quarter-finals. As he prepares to lead his team’s bid to four in a row, Ponting will count on the absence of expectations as his greatest ally.
