2015 World Cup - Semifinal 2 - Australia v India

booth70

Australia v India
Sydney Cricket Ground
03:30 GMT ..... 26/03/2015

booth70

Australia appear overwhelming favourites on paper but I think this is going to be a close match

Form Guide - Last 20 completed matches between the two countries

Australia 10 - India 10

booth70

If it wasn't for the 'calming' influence of the IPL the semifinal between the 2 teams would resemble a boxing match than a cricket match!!!

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/cricket-world-cup-australia-india-braced-for-verbal-onslaught-at-scg-20150323-1m5zk1.html

Some fiery characters on both sides...... Let's hope the match itself is as fiery!!!

Giggsy11

booth70 wrote: »

Australia appear overwhelming favourites on paper but I think this is going to be a close match

Form Guide - Last 20 completed matches between the two countries

Australia 10 - India 10

What's the form guide for last few games in Australia? IMO that would answer the question better as India were always favorites in India but not so in Australia.

Can't see us beating Aussies with the form they are in.

booth70

India and Australia have a hard act to follow on Thursday

tmq

Australia fairly easily accounted for India in the test and ODI series over summer (down under). India's form has improved somewhat through the world cup however, and they are certainly used to the conditions now. A couple of star performances can win an ODI, and they definitely have the proven big time performers (Kohli, Dohni,....)

One area of strength India have is spin bowling - the ability to bowl it well, and bat against it - and the SCG is traditionally a spinners wicket, so that may help them.

Another interesting factor is they will not suffer from lack of support... there is a huge number of cricket mad, noisy Indian supporters in Oz.

And yes, no shortage of confontational players in either team. Bring it on!

Gillespy

The lack of a proper spinner was always a glaring hole in the Aussie side. Maxwell and Clarke himself will have to do. Is Moeen Ali that much better than them? I don't think so and look how much damage he causes them. The current lot aren't great players of spin. Ali and Nathan Lyon proved that. Ashwin is class however and could be the difference. I will be amazed if the pitch doesn't offer enough for the quicks though.

Impossible to call. My only prediction is that Mitch will take a few wickets.

booth70

This sums up where Ind v Aus rivalry is at present.....

http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-cricket-world-cup-2015/content/story/855385.html

The same players who will be at each others throats tomoro will be sharing a dressing room at the IPL in a weeks time!!!!

Hopefully it will be a good match........May the better team win!!!

booth70

Everyone and his brother have been going on about how the SCG represents India's best chance of beating Australia in Australia

India's stats at the SCG make dismal reading if you are an Indian supporter like me.....
Against Aus - Won 1 Lost 12
Against all comers - Won 3 Lost 14

All matches - Aus lead Ind 67-40
Last 20 matches - 10-10
Last 10 matches in Australia - 6-4 to Australia

India's highest score batting first at the SCG - 296 - lost the match
India's highest score batting second - 299 - Still lost the match!!

All the stats point to India getting thrashed out of sight tomoro but cricket is not a game of statistics......This is going to be a match that will be played on the minds of the 2 teams as much as it will be played out in the middle

Weather forecast looks good so thankfully no Duckworth Lewis

After all the build up let's hope it's not an anticlimax of climactic proportions!!!!

positron

Fingers crossed for tomorrow - supporting India, not confident at all, but the boys might surprise everyone tomorrow.

KevIRL

Aussies looking well set here...

Rjd2

Hit or get out Finch

mrkiscool2

India in real trouble here. 400 is well within range for Australia!

KevIRL

Amazing how a couple of quick wickets can change things

mrkiscool2

They have to be looking at getting 320-330 now. Two huge wickets there for India.

booth70

Australia still on course to bat India out of the game

India need to bowl Austalia out here to keep the chase down to manageable proportions!!!!

Anything more than 330 India are out of the game I reckon

Rjd2

Rubbish innings from Finch really has hurt although credit where its due India have bowled quite well in the last few overs.

KevIRL

Another key wicket just when needed

booth70

That cameo from Johnson has probably taken India out of the game

Australia's match to lose from here

KevIRL

Gonna be so close.

tmq

wickets needed now by aussies... slow pitch is to Indian batsmens liking.

mrkiscool2

Needed that. India were on the verge of starting to rock and really take control of the match, poor from the batsmen there though.

tmq

Will slow the run rate at least.... constant wickets is the only way to defend anything but a huge total these days.

BarryD

Game slipping away from India unless they move soon. Maxwell has good figures - conceding less than 4 an over.

mrkiscool2

BarryD wrote: »

Game slipping away from India unless they move soon. Maxwell has good figures - conceding less than 4 an over.

Still going to be tight. If Dhoni is there with 6 or 7 overs to go it's going to be anyone's game.

tmq

very controlled stuff by Dhoni, he's the master at the these type of knocks.

booth70

That's the best review of the World cup so far.......

tmq

booth70 wrote: »

That's the best review of the World cup so far.......

India wouldn't allow the DRS to be used in the test series against Australia, they won't be fans of it still.

Giggsy11

Out played completely and Aussies are deserving winners.

BarryD

What's the wicket like? Why such slow scoring from India?

positron

Couple of sixes from Dhoni, if that man can turn this match around and win, he can do whatever he want with me (if he want to do anything with 30+ straight male that is..)

BarryD

Just listening to Newstalk radio - sports fella gives the score out and announces that Australia will now face New Zealand in the final!!! Must be a big time delay.

TrueDub

positron wrote: »

Couple of sixes from Dhoni, if that man can turn this match around and win, he can do whatever he want with me (if he want to do anything with 30+ straight male that is..)

Your virtue is safe, he's just got out.

booth70

India never gave themselves a chance after an excellent start from Dhawan....

The best 2 sides in the final no doubt about that

BarryD

Going, going, gone.

mrkiscool2

Going to be some atmosphere during the final anyway! If it's anything like their group game it is going to be amazing.

booth70

Australia will be favourites for the final......it will be NZ's first match in Australia during the World Cup .......those top edges won't fly into the stands at Melbourne!!!

As a neutral I am just going to sit back, enjoy the Maxwell and McCullum show and hope NZ win bcos this is their best chance ever at winning the World Cup I think

tmq

Yes I think Melbourne just tips it the Aussies way, otherwise the Kiwis.

Lets hope they both put on a great show... has the potential to be one of the great matches.

Rjd2

Australia played very good cricket so they deserved to win. Credit where its due to Smith, always scores runs when it matters unlike a lot more vaunted players.

For India, think this proves Rahene opener or nowhere, he really has not done enough to be persisted with in this format. Guys like Jadhev all waiting in the wings.

Also poor world cup for Kohli, they needed more from him.

tmq

Yes, Kohli was very dissapointing after being brilliant through the test series.

BarryD

Rjd2 wrote: »

Also poor world cup for Kohli, they needed more from him.

Could he have done more earlier today? In a situation that was rapidly becoming impossible?

Sorry misread above, I thought he said that Dhoni had played badly!!!

Gillespy

To put it in context, Finch was rubbish with 81 because his strike rate was around 70. Rjd2 has impossible standards.;)

I agree with him here. 78-2 when Kohli went in the 16th over, the game was still very much alive. 1 off 13 was poor. As the premier ODI batsman in the world, he has been disappointing. India needed him to do what Sangakkara did on that ground against Australia.

Rjd2

Yeah in retrospect a little harsh on Finch, but he did speed it up once I posted that, so well done him.

Amla and Kohli who plundered runs left right and centre simply have not shown up in this competition. Yes their has been players who have done much worse than them, e.g Dwayne Smith, Ahmed Shezhad, Marlon Samuels and Eoin Morgan, but these 2 so much more was expected of.

I have written of Amla as a bilateral series bully a long time ago, I don't think Kohli is that, his performance in the world cup semi final t20 was absolute clutch last year, he just happens to be in a bad rut at the moment. He is still quite young though, so may have 2 more world cups left in him.